CLOSING THE GAP OF INDIGENOUS DISADVANTAGE A GENERATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION

Vision By 2030, Indigenous children born in the Territory will be as healthy and live as long as other Territorians. They will have the opportunity to participate fully in the social and economic life of the Territory, while having a strong cultural identity. 5, 10 and 20 years targets Funded 5 year NT Government actions Areas to negotiate with the Australian Government for complementary long term measures Responses to the Inquiry recommendations Closing the Gap of Indigenous Disadvantage: A Generational Plan of Action

Closing the Gap framework

NT Government 5 year commitment Child protection$79.36m Remote Area Policing Strategy, community justice and other safety measures $38.61m Alcohol and drug management$10.11m Health$23.40m Housing (in addition to $100m commitment)$42.32 m Education$70.68 m Employment and economic development$13.0 m Cross cultural understanding and Indigenous engagement$8.95m TOTAL$ (incl 223 positions)

Safety 20 Year Targets Indigenous children will no longer be over-represented as victims of child abuse or neglect Rates of Indigenous deaths from homicide and hospitalisations for assault will be similar to non-Indigenous rates Rates of Indigenous alcohol related hospitalisations and assaults will be similar to non-Indigenous rates 5 Year Targets Rate of sexual abuse substantiations for Indigenous children will initially increase from the 2005/06 rate Rate of neglect substantiations for Indigenous children will initially increase from the 2005/06 rate and then level out Per capita alcohol consumption rate will decline by 15% The proportion of the population drinking beyond safe levels for short term harm will be reduced by 20%

Safety – Child protection Children’s Commissioner$1.6m Care and Protection of Children Bill$0.8m Community education campaign$0.44m 10 additional child protection workers$6.80m Residential care unit and therapy$10.20m Additional care and case management$8.80m Network of Aboriginal Child Protection and Care Services$10.15m Sexual Assault Referral Centres$6.30m Expand Child Abuse Taskforce$29.04m 10 additional student counsellors$5.23m TOTAL$79.36

Safety – Alcohol and drugs 8 additional alcohol compliance inspectors $1.35m 2 court clinicians $1.24m Licensing Identification System $3.77m Expand Return to Home $0.25m Regional alcohol management strategies $2.5m Alcohol education program $1.00m Introduce amendments to the Liquor Act and declare dry areas TOTAL$10.11m

Safety – Policing, justice and family violence Remote Area Policing Strategy$11.2m 10 community courts$2.1m 10 community corrections officers$4.62m Indigenous family violence offender program$5.24m Katherine Witness Assistance Service$0.9m Integrated community based family violence programs$7.9m Sexual offender rehabilitation$4.44m Elders Visiting Program$0.96m Pornography and gambling education$1.25 TOTAL$38.61m

Health 20 Year Targets Indigenous children will have life expectancy at birth comparable with non- Indigenous children Rates of Indigenous people hospitalised for preventable conditions will be comparable with rates of non-Indigenous people 10 Year Targets The difference between rates of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people hospitalised for preventable conditions will be halved Mean birth weight of Indigenous babies will be within 150g of non-Indigenous babies The difference between smoking rates for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people will be halved 5 Year Targets Rates of Indigenous infant mortality will be less than 13 per 1000 live births More than 25% of Indigenous people will exercise at moderate/high levels

Health Integrated family/children centres, including antenatal, maternal and early childhood programs $9.60m Alcohol and drug rehabilitation and treatment services$0.5m Shire sport and recreation programs$4.5m Hearing loss and preventable chronic disease programs$8.80m Work with Australian Government and Aboriginal community controlled health sector to develop a primary health care strategy TOTAL$23.4m

Housing 20 Year Targets Less than 10% of Indigenous Territorians will live in overcrowded conditions Rates of home ownership for Indigenous Territorians will increase Rates of Indigenous people with diseases associated with poor environmental health will be comparable with rates of non- Indigenous people 10 Year Targets The difference between rates of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people hospitalised with diseases associated with poor environmental health will be will be halved 5 Year Targets The backlog in housing for remote Indigenous Territorians will be reduced by 20% Indigenous people in remote areas will have the opportunity to access home ownership

Housing Negotiate with the Australian Government for a significant share of the $1.6b ARIA program Roll out the $100m NT Government commitment to remote housing Government employee housing $42.32m TOTAL$42.32m

Education 20 Year Targets The rates of achievement of national literacy and numeracy standards for Indigenous students will be comparable with that of non-Indigenous students The rates of achievement of national literacy and numeracy standards for remote students will be comparable with that of urban students The success rate for Indigenous students receiving their Northern Territory Certificate of Education will be comparable with that of non-Indigenous students 5 Year Targets All three and four year old Indigenous children will have access to quality early learning programs Indigenous primary and secondary school students will be attending school at rates comparable to non-Indigenous students At least 75% of Indigenous children will be achieving literacy and numeracy standards in Year 3

Education 8 new mobile preschools and 21 teachers and assistants$9.5m 26 teachers$12.83m Build 15 classrooms$6m School attendance team$1.8m Upgrade 15 community education centres$20m ‘Value of schooling’ education campaign$0.55m Upgrade 2 homeland learning centres$10m IT resources for staff and students$2.7m Regional hostels for senior studies$0.7m Partnership programs to improve student engagement$6.6m TOTAL$70.68m

Jobs 20 Year Targets Labour force participation rates will be similar for Indigenous and non- Indigenous Territorians Rates of Indigenous employment in Northern Territory Public Sector (NTPS) will reflect the population demographics of the local region 10 Year Targets Indigenous youth (18 to 24 years) will be engaged in either further study, training or work at rates comparable to non-Indigenous youth At least 30% of people completing Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications, apprenticeships and traineeships will be Indigenous Indigenous labour force participation rates will be more than 60% 5 Year Targets At least 50% of people undertaking VET qualifications, apprenticeships and traineeships will be Indigenous At least 10% of the NTPS will be Indigenous

Jobs Transition CDEP jobs to mainstream NTPS positions$10m Support Indigenous economic development initiatives$3m Develop a road access component under the 10 Year Infrastructure Plan Use housing construction programs and capital works programs to facilitate Indigenous employment TOTAL$13m

Culture 20 Year Targets All students will be able to demonstrate achievement in Indigenous studies throughout compulsory years of schooling 10 Year Targets All Northern Territory Public Sector employees will have accessed a cross-cultural program 5 Year Targets Indigenous cultural studies will be taught in all primary and secondary schools in the Northern Territory 50% of Northern Territory Public Sector employees will have accessed a cross-cultural program

Culture Expand Indigenous culture programs in NT schools$0.5m Implement cross cultural programs in NTPS Implement a Whole-of-Government Indigenous communications strategy TOTAL$0.5m

A better way of doing business 20 Year Targets Rates of Indigenous employment in the NTPS will reflect the population demographics of the local region Rates of Indigenous teachers/education workers in schools and health workers will reflect the population demographics of the NT 10 Year Targets At least 20% of the NTPS will be Indigenous 5 Year Targets At least 10% of the NTPS will be Indigenous An Indigenous Affairs Advisory Council will be in place to provide advice to the Chief Minister Sustainable local government structures will be in place to service remote areas Indigenous people will have effective pathways to input into government policy, planning and service delivery

A better way of doing business Indigenous Affairs Advisory Council$0.45m Local community boards$3m Infrastructure to support community governance$5m TOTAL$8.45m

The Northern Territory Government is seeking the Australian Government’s support for the long term approach outlined in Closing the Gap. For each of the objective areas, recent Australian Government initiatives have been identified, as well as some areas for negotiation with the Australian Government. We are seeking a long term commitment to addressing Indigenous disadvantage that goes beyond the Intervention currently underway. Negotiation with the Australian Government

Housing - $793 million of housing related funding including $279 million of announced initiatives and a further $414 million of new initiatives. Funding includes $20 million per annum for municipal services to outstations. Health - $35 million one-off primary health care funding in followed by approximately $50 million per annum funding thereafter. Jobs - $10 million for CDEP Program conversion to new jobs. Education - A commitment by the Northern Territory to resourcing of schools to ensure all children of compulsory school age are accommodated in terms of classrooms and teachers. Police – Commitment of 66 police, plus support for infrastructure is currently being negotiated. Recent agreements