Noting that Mr Terry Moran AO (Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet) and Mr Mike Burgess (Northern Territory Department of the Chief Minister) represent their respective governments on the Taskforce and have a role in advising governments in a separate capacity, the views expressed by the Taskforce cannot be taken as the views of those agencies nor the advice that the agencies will provide to governments in considering the recommendations of the Taskforce.
The Taskforce notes the significant investment of the former and current Australian Governments into the NTER:
- the initial announcement of $587 million for the measures announced on 21 June 2007;
- the additional allocation of $313.5 million in February 2008; and
- the announcement in May 2008 of $323.8 million to continue the NTER over the 2008-09 financial year.
The Taskforce also notes the additional funding of $28.9 million to build three new Indigenous boarding facilities in the Northern Territory to improve access to secondary schools for remote Indigenous students; and that the Australian Government is funding other services in the Northern Territory and across Australia that will benefit Indigenous people in the Northern Territory.
The Taskforce notes further that the Northern Territory Government has committed $286.43 million in initiatives over five years through Closing the Gap of Indigenous Disadvantage: a Generational Plan of Action; and that the commitment includes additional funding for Indigenous people and remote communities in the areas of child protection, policing, alcohol and drug management, health outcomes, housing, education, employment, economic participation, and engagement in service delivery.
One year into the emergency response, it is apparent that the initial suspicion and distrust in communities is lifting as Indigenous people in remote communities are recognising that their lives and those of their children are improving through the implementation of the NTER; and as their hopes are raised that their children may have a brighter future.
The Taskforce strongly recommends that funding needs to continue to be maintained with the aim of protecting children and creating a better future for Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory.
In particular, the Taskforce considers that the Australian Government should work with the Northern Territory Government on the issues outlined in this section:
- viability and government investment;
- mediation;
- child protection;
- whole-of-government coordination;
- health;
- housing;
- employment;
- early childhood;
- education;
- income management and stores;
- alcohol; and
- policing.
4.1 Viability and Government Investment
The Taskforce notes that the long term sustainability of the 73 prescribed communities depends on a range of complex demographic and geographic characteristics; and on developing a stronger economic base with investment from the private sector, the community sector and the Northern Territory and Australian governments.
The Taskforce strongly recommends that the Australian Government continue to work with the Northern Territory Government to assess which communities are viable in the longer term, and to plan future investment based on those assessments.
The Taskforce recommends that communities assessed as being viable should be provided with at least the following:
- adequate housing;
- a police station;
- a health clinic;
- an early childhood education centre;
- a primary school;
- a store;
- independent employment opportunities; and
- access to a secondary school (which may not be in the community).
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4.2 Mediation
Divisions within communities can often undermine the ability of a community to deal with its problems and make positive plans for the future. The divisions can be between families, clans, Traditional Owners and others in the community, or for other reasons.
The Taskforce recommends that the Australian Government consider funding mediators to work with communities to find resolutions for internal issues.
4.3 Child Protection
The Taskforce notes that the Australian and Northern Territory governments have each committed additional funding for child protection in the Northern Territory, including through the Family Support Program and the recruitment of additional child protection workers.
The Taskforce supports the recently-funded initiatives and recommends that investment in this area be continued and strengthened.
The Taskforce notes that Aboriginal Family and Community Workers should not be working in isolation and need support from within the wider child protection system.
The Taskforce notes that, in the context of developing a National Child Protection Framework, the Australian Government has recently released a discussion paper titled Australia's children: safe and well.3 The Taskforce strongly supports the development of a National Child Protection Framework and endorses the measures outlined in the discussion paper.
The Taskforce recommends that there be further education campaigns to educate Indigenous people in the Northern Territory about definitions of child neglect, child abuse, pornography, consent, rape and related issues.
4.4 Whole-of-Government Coordination
The Taskforce notes that the successful roll-out of the NTER measures has depended to a large extent on cross-portfolio and cross-jurisdictional coordination and cooperation. This has been enabled through a range of mechanisms including:
- the composition of the Taskforce (particularly the inclusion of officers at the highest level from the Operations Centre, the Northern Territory Public Service and the Australian Public Service);
- the NTER Project Management Board;
- the NTER Operations Centre; and
- Government Business Managers (GBMs).
The Taskforce strongly supports the deployment of GBMs as they have played a key role in coordinating in a whole-of-government, cross-portfolio, cross-jurisdictional manner within each community. The valuable function that GBMs have fulfilled in providing links between the government and the communities needs to be maintained and could be further strengthened through greater links with the Northern Territory Government.
The Taskforce also strongly supports the recent announcement of recruiting local Indigenous "community agents" to facilitate better engagement between governments and communities in the Northern Territory. The Taskforce recommends that consideration should be given to funding additional community agents and interpreters.
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4.5 Health
The Taskforce would like to emphasise that the child health checks should not be seen as a one off but that they should be accessible by all children on an annual basis and that this requires adequate resourcing of the primary health care system.
The Taskforce considers that the workforce side of the health intervention is critical and this may put this aspect of the intervention at risk if these children who have been identified are not followed up in a timely way for both primary and specialist care services.
The Taskforce notes the commitment of funding to recruit, employ and deploy health professionals through the Remote Area Health Corps.
The Taskforce recognises:
- that the greatest risk to the improved health outcomes from this phase of the intervention is a lack of an adequate work force;
- the need for continued provision of primary health care services to address the medical conditions identified by the routine health checks is essential;
- that Specialist services (particularly ear, nose and throat, dental and general paediatric) need to be rolled out in a co-ordinated way in order that the back log of pathology identified can be addressed;
- that enhancement of primary health care, with both work force and infrastructure, represents the most urgent part of the current implementation of the health initiative;
- that visiting specialists must have ownership of the system and be assigned to particular communities to ensure sustainability;
- that visiting specialists must provide on going care throughout the life of the program;
- that training and engagement of nurses, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous needs to be the major focus;
- that there is a particular need to recruit, train and support Aboriginal health workers, nurses and allied staff;
- and emphasises that future funding be directed as close as possible to those who provide the services, be they doctors, nurses or allied health workers;
- the need to develop the best and most sustainable solutions with the communities in the long term, which means having flexibility in the implementation of the health solutions;
- the need to engage the college of surgeons and other workforce agencies (medical, nursing and allied health), to ensure sustainable work force;
- that remoteness is often a barrier to providing high level health services in certain regions;
- the need to provide appropriate pay and conditions to health workers that is commensurate with those of their city counterparts; and recommends that the Government consider innovative adjustments to the tax system, (eg: tax rebate/zone allowance) to deliver incentives into the system;
- the need to develop better linkages between city and provincial based general practices and those primary heath care centres in the indigenous communities; which would allow for a source of locum relief as well as providing opportunities for the health workers to take holiday relief and time for up-skilling.
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4.6 Housing
The Taskforce welcomes the strategy behind funding housing in communities with different circumstances to different levels in the context of considering where investment is most warranted.
However, the Taskforce notes that overcrowding is an issue in all NTER communities and town camps; and that the majority of communities are not receiving new housing.
The Taskforce strongly recommends that governments consider additional investment to alleviate overcrowding in remote communities in the Northern Territory, while ensuring that the design and location of new housing is economically viable as well as culturally and environmentally appropriate.
The Taskforce notes that there is inconsistent treatment of support workers such as teachers, health care staff and police regarding their housing. If people have come from outside the community, governments provide them with housing which is at an acceptable standard. However, if staff are community people, they are expected to live in their own homes, which are often overcrowded and badly in need of repair. The Taskforce recommends that this inequity be addressed as a matter of urgent priority in order to retain the valuable contribution of Indigenous people who are working to improve in-community services that support the NTER. housing for support staff must meet and maintain acceptable standards.
4.7 Employment
The Taskforce considers that it is vital to continue to focus on increasing employment opportunities for Indigenous people in remote communities through economic development activities and through partnerships with industry and governments.
The Taskforce recommends that governments continue to identify, convert and establish 'real jobs' in communities.
The Taskforce recommends that all jobs created in Indigenous communities should be market waged jobs; and notes that in some cases it may be more appropriate for these to be filled on a part-time or job-shared basis rather than as full-time positions.
The Taskforce notes that the Australian Government has recently issued a discussion paper on the future of CDEP and Indigenous Employment Programs4 and that the Government is preparing an Indigenous Economic Development Strategy. The Taskforce supports the principles enunciated in that discussion paper about the need for local solutions; the acknowledgement of different types of economies; the links between education and skills; the need for Indigenous people to see a working future beyond CDEP; the importance of communities engaging with business; and the importance of partnerships.
The Taskforce recommends that government procurement policies should support the development of partnerships between Indigenous communities and the private sector and that there should be a continuum of support programs for Indigenous private sector employers rather than isolated stand-alone programs. The Taskforce recommends that consideration should be given to how private companies could be encouraged to work with Indigenous communities to help identify and implement economic opportunities.
The Taskforce recommends that consideration should be given to expanding the role of Community Employment Brokers (CEBs) so the CEBs could:
- work with the Northern Territory Government Economic Development Officers;
- identify and facilitate economic development opportunities in new and emerging industries; and
- respond flexibly to the circumstances of individuals, including the identification of jobs and training outside the communities in which people currently live.
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4.8 Early Childhood
The Taskforce considers that investment in early childhood health and education is critical, particularly in remote communities, and notes the recently-announced investment in these priority areas.
The Taskforce supports the Government's policy that every 4-year-old should have access to early childhood education and recommends that early childhood education facilities should exist in each viable community.
The Taskforce recommends that greater consideration be given to establishing parenting programs for Indigenous parents in remote communities and greater support for pregnant women.
The Taskforce recommends that early childhood education programs that can be delivered in the home be made available to children who are waiting for early childhood education facilities to be established in their community.
4.9 Education
The Taskforce considers that adequate provision of educational facilities is essential for Indigenous people of all ages: from early childhood, through primary and secondary school and technical and further education and training.
The Taskforce welcomes the increase in classrooms, teachers and boarding schools. The Taskforce welcomes the Northern Territory Government's commitment to provide additional infrastructure and staffing to meet increased demand through rising attendance; and the Australian Government's contribution towards achieving those goals.
The Taskforce recommends that there should be a primary school in each viable community.
The Taskforce notes that some parents are not contributing to the cost of the School Nutrition Program and recommends that this be made compulsory.
In relation to the issue of bilingual education, the Taskforce considers that it is important to keep a balance: it is vital for Indigenous children in remote communities to be educated in English to a level which is comparable to other Australian children, while not losing their traditional Indigenous languages and cultures.
The Taskforce also considers that it is important to ensure that, as education moves from the classroom to an online environment, children in remote Indigenous communities not be left further behind.
The Taskforce recommends all secondary school age children be able to access a secondary education. The Taskforce recommends that where there are not boarding facilities available for high school students, alternative accommodation with appropriate social supports should be made available so that young people from remote communities can access a secondary education.
The Taskforce recommends that training programs be made available for high school students to prepare them for work in industries such as the mining industry. These programs should teach industry-related skills (such as operating plant equipment, driver training and maintenance of machinery) and broader workplace requirements (such as the importance of turning up to work every day and of keeping alcohol, drugs, and violence away from the workplace).
The Taskforce recommends that adults in remote communities have access to literacy and numeracy programs.
The Taskforce recommends that the Australian Government work with the Northern Territory Government to facilitate Indigenous people having greater access to education training programs, such as those for teachers' assistants, tutors and Indigenous Education Workers, at Charles Darwin University and Batchelor College; and that these programs be linked to vacancies in schools.
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4.10 Income Management and Stores
Income Management
The Taskforce notes that women in many communities have indicated their support for income management, because it ensures money is available for food and other necessities for children, reduces the opportunities for humbugging, and provides a basis for developing household budgeting skills. The Taskforce notes that at some point income management should become voluntary, but that vulnerable people may then be pressured by others into leaving income management when their interests may be best served by continuing to have their income managed.
The Taskforce strongly recommends that early consideration be given as to what happens with income management in different communities given that at 1 July, some communities will have had income management in place for many months and others will have only just had it implemented.
Stores
The Taskforce notes the significant improvements that the NTER measures have brought in improving stores in remote communities in the Northern Territory.
The Taskforce recommends that there be a store in each viable community.
Noting the importance of stores in terms of income management and food security, the Taskforce recommends that an ongoing operational subsidy be provided for stores in those communities which are too small to enable the store to be profitable. In other communities, interim arrangements will be required to provide food security whilst compulsory income management is in place. Interim arrangements should not 'lock in' substandard operators and the balance between consumer choice and other policy objectives around improved nutrition and health outcomes require a more strategic approach than has been evident to date.
For communities where there is a licensed but substandard or otherwise inappropriate store operator, the Taskforce recommends that the Australian Government make appropriate arrangements with the local community and Outback Stores or other reputable retailers in remote communities in the Northern Territory such as the Arnhem Land Progress Association.
4.11 Alcohol
The Taskforce recommends that consideration should be given to consulting with each community to replace alcohol bans with community-specific Alcohol Management Plans.
The Taskforce supports the recent announcement of the expansion of Indigenous drug and alcohol services across Australia. The Taskforce recommends that additional rehabilitation centres be established in regional and remote areas and that consideration be given to making these accessible for families where a family member is seeking to recover from addiction.
4.12 Policing
A common theme during community visits was a desire for a permanent police presence. Despite the increase in police presence resulting from the intervention, 50% of prescribed communities remain without a permanent police presence. The Taskforce notes that many of these communities are substantial in terms of population, and continue to be troubled by issues of domestic violence. While the NT Police have a legitimate concern that additional policing presence should not be deployed without a long term assurance of the required operating cost funding to support sustainment of such presences, inadequate policing puts at risk the stable platform upon which other measures need to be rolled out.
The Taskforce recommends that the number of police in communities should continue to be increased so that every community is adequately serviced by police as law and order cannot exist without a police presence.
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