$3.4 million worth of funding will help Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations progress towards targets in the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Agreement on Closing the Gap.
Grants from the fund will go towards strengthening the Aboriginal community-controlled sector to deliver high-quality, sustainable services for Aboriginal people and communities.
The funding coincides with today’s release of the Productivity Commission’s Annual Data Compilation Report for Closing the Gap – the second such report since the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Agreement on Closing the Gap.
The report includes updated data on a range of targets both nationally and state-by-state.
It measures 17 socioeconomic targets relating to the rights, wellbeing and quality of life for Aboriginal people. Of these 17 socioeconomic targets, only nine have updated data pertaining to outcomes in 2021.
Western Australia has recorded improvement across seven of the nine socioeconomic outcome targets with updated data, while one target remained stable. These include:
- Life expectancy
- Healthy birthweight
- Preschool program enrolment
- Adults held in incarceration (worsening nationally)
- Young people in detention
- Children in out-of-home care
- Area of land subject to native title
- Area of water subject to native title
At the last State Budget, the McGowan Government committed more than $600 million to strengthen services that deliver positive outcomes for Aboriginal people and communities.
As stated by Aboriginal Affairs Minister Tony Buti:
“While it is promising to see progress in Closing the Gap targets in this year’s report, the WA Government recognises there is a long way to go.
“This is all about working with communities to find solutions that work best for the individual communities across our vast State.
“Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations are best placed to facilitate local solutions for issues experienced at a local level.
“Aboriginal Affairs is a whole-of-government responsibility, and it is important that Government partners with Aboriginal people to improve outcomes and create new opportunities.”
