Social Justice Report 2003: SUMMARY SHEET ONE: RECOMMENDATIONS

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SUMMARY SHEET ONE: RECOMMENDATIONS

RECOMMENDATION 1 ON RECONCILIATION: DATA COLLECTION

That the federal Government request the Australian Bureau
of Statistics (ABS) to provide to COAG information on the actions that
need to be taken in order to improve Indigenous data collection. The ABS
should respond to the suggestions made by the Steering Committee for the
Review of Government Service Delivery in the Overcoming Indigenous
Disadvantage Report 2003, as well as identify actions that they consider
necessary to ensure the availability of relevant data on a regular basis.
In providing this information, the ABS should:

• identify those issues that could be addressed through improvements
  to its existing data collection processes, as well as those issues which
  would require additional one-off funding allocations and those issues
  which would require additional recurrent funding from the federal government
  or COAG;
• estimate the cost of any additional one-off and recurrent funding
  needs, including the cost of conducting the Indigenous General Social
  Survey on a triennial basis; and
• consult with the Steering Committee for the Review of Government Services,
  the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, and other relevant
  agencies.

RECOMMENDATIONS 2-5 ON RECONCILIATION: MINISTERIAL
COUNCIL ACTION PLANS

Recommendation 2

That the federal Government, through its leadership role
in the Council of Australian Governments, ensure that all Commonwealth
/ State Ministerial Councils finalise action plans on addressing Indigenous
disadvantage and reconciliation by 30 June 2004. These action plans must
contain benchmarks, with specific timeframes (covering short, medium and
long-term objectives) for their realisation. Where appropriate, these
benchmarks should correlate with the strategic change indicators and headline
indicators reported annually by the Steering Committee for the Provision
of Government Services.

Recommendation 3

That the federal Government, through its leadership role
in the Council of Australian Governments, request the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) to advise COAG whether it endorses
these action plans and the benchmarks contained within, following consultations
through its Regional Councils. ATSIC should be required to advise COAG
of its endorsement or any concerns about the action plans within a maximum
period of six months after being furnished with the action plans.

Recommendation 4

That the federal Government ensure that all Commonwealth/State
Ministerial Council Action Plans are made publicly available as a compendium
of national commitments to overcoming Indigenous disadvantage. 5 That
COAG publicly report on progress in meeting the benchmarks contained in
each Commonwealth/State Ministerial Council Action Plan on an annual basis.

RECOMMENDATIONS 6- 9 ON RECONCILIATION: COAG WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT
COMMUNITY TRIALS

Recommendation 6

That the federal Government, through the Department
of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, commit to the existence
of the Indigenous Communities Coordination Taskforce for a minimum of
the five year duration of the COAG whole-of-government community trials
and accordingly commit resources to the Taskforce until 2007.

Recommendation 7

That federal Government departments participating in
the COAG whole-of-government trials increase their staffing commitments
to the Indigenous Communities Coordination Taskforce by placing additional
officers in the Taskforce's Secretariat.

Recommendation 8

That COAG request the Productivity Commission (as Chair
of the Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision)
to provide advice on aligning the benchmarks and outcomes agreed at the
local level with COAG's National Framework for Reporting on Indigenous
Disadvantage. This advice should include any recommendations for adapting
the Indigenous Communities Coordination Taskforce Database to enable reporting
of outcomes against this National Framework.

Recommendation 9

That COAG agree and fund an independent monitoring and
evaluation process for the whole-of-government community trials initiative.
The Productivity Commission, Commonwealth Grants Commission or ATSIC's
National Office of Evaluation and Audit would be suitable agencies to
conduct this review.

RECOMMENDATIONS 10-12 ON CAPACITY BUILDING AND GOVERNANCE
REFORM

Recommendation 10

That COAG adopt ATSIC's Integrated framework on capacity
building and sustainable development as a central component of its
Reconciliation Framework.

Recommendation 11

That COAG also provide funding for research into best-practice
models of governance reform and capacity building relating to Indigenous
peoples in Australia. Such research should be based on overseas models
such as the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, and
build on the findings of existing work on governance reform in Australia.

Recommendation 12

That the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Affairs (Cth) ensure that reform of the Aboriginal Councils and Associations
Act 1976 (Cth) is treated as a high priority of the federal government
and ensure extensive consultation is undertaken with Indigenous peoples
about proposed amendments to the legislation. Any proposed legislative
reforms should be in accordance with the recommendations of the 2002 review
of the Act's operation. In particular, proposed amendments should recognise
the need for special regulatory assistance for Indigenous organisations
and maintain a distinct legislative framework for regulation outside of
the Corporations Act as a special measure.

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