The National Urban and Regional Service Delivery Strategy for Indigenous Australians (Indigenous Urban and Regional Strategy) was agreed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) on 2 July 2009, and forms Schedule B to the National Indigenous Reform Agreement (NIRA).
FaHCSIA is the lead Australian Government agency for Closing the Gap in Indigenous disadvantage and the Indigenous Urban and Regional Strategy.
The Closing the Gap Strategy
In 2008, COAG committed $4.6 billion in Indigenous specific funding over 10 years to drive fundamental reforms in remote housing, health, early childhood development, jobs and improvements in remote service delivery. The Closing the Gap Strategy is outlined in the Integrated Strategy to Close the Gap in Indigenous Disadvantage (NIRA Schedule A), and includes the following elements:
- Closing the Gap targets around life expectancy, child mortality, literacy and numeracy, early childhood education, employment and year 12 attainment
- Building Blocks – Early Childhood, Schooling, Health, Economic Participation, Healthy Homes, Safe Communities, and Governance and Leadership
- Service delivery principles – priority, Indigenous engagement, sustainability, access, integration, and accountability
- Specific strategies – Urban and Regional Service Delivery, Remote Service Delivery, Food Security in Remote Communities, Data Quality Improvements
- Overarching Bilateral Indigenous Plans (OBIPs) between the Commonwealth and each State and Territory bring together the range of reforms contributing to Closing the Gap, and will include implementation schedules for the Indigenous Urban and Regional Strategy.
The Indigenous Urban and Regional Strategy
In 2006, the Census recorded 517,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians,1 75 per cent of whom resided in major cities or regional areas.2 Addressing the disadvantage experienced by many Indigenous Australians living in urban and regional areas will require a multi-faceted approach. The Indigenous Urban and Regional Strategy commits governments to coordinate and target the substantial funding provided under mainstream and Indigenous specific programs to address Indigenous disadvantage in urban and regional locations. In addition, it provides for:
- targeting of existing and future investments in housing, homelessness, education, employment, health and early childhood services to address Indigenous disadvantage in urban and regional areas
- improved access by Indigenous people to better coordinated and targeted services
- local need / place-based approaches enabling initiatives to be delivered in a manner appropriate to the needs in a particular location
- strengthened Indigenous capacity, engagement and participation to promote a strong and positive view of Indigenous identity and culture
- the strengthening of individual, family and community wellbeing and capacity as a necessary impetus to improved access to, and take-up of, services
- more effective program accountability and sustainability, with governments required to enhance statistical collection services and other information sources to improve the detail and accuracy of reporting on outcomes
- COAG monitoring progress in utilising Indigenous specific and mainstream National Partnerships to improve outcomes in urban and regional locations.
Contribution of National Partnerships to the Indigenous Urban and Regional Strategy
The Indigenous Urban and Regional Strategy outlines the contribution of Indigenous specific and mainstream National Partnerships (NPs) to addressing disadvantage in urban and regional locations, including the following.
Health
Housing and homelessness
Early childhood development
Education
Economic participation
What else needs to be done? (Five key action areas)
The Indigenous Urban and Regional Strategy outlines actions that can be taken by all jurisdictions to give practical effect to these key National Partnerships. It also outlines other initiatives of the Commonwealth and the States and Territories to improve outcomes for Indigenous Australians in urban and regional communities in a coordinated and targeted way.
These are grouped under five key action areas:
- integration and governance
- effective services
- focussing on local need / place-based approaches
- strengthening Indigenous capacity, engagement and participation
- Building effective accountability and sustainability.
Implementation
The Australian Government is currently working with State and Territory Governments to implement the Indigenous Urban and Regional Strategy.
Further information on the National Partnerships (NPs) listed above, including implementation progress, can be found on the following Australian Government websites:
Department of Health and Ageing
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Smarter Schools National Partnerships
Nation Building – Economic Stimulus Plan
Agreed actions under the five key action areas listed above are included in Overarching Bilateral Indigenous Plans (OBIPs). Finalised OBIPs are published on the Ministerial Council for Federal Financial Relations website.