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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework - Summary report

Future HPF developments

Recent and current policy developments will shape the HPF in the future.

In July 2020, the National Agreement on Closing the Gap was developed in partnership between Australian governments and the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations. The National Agreement has been built around four Priority Reforms that will change the way governments work with Indigenous Australians. These reforms outline obligations for governments to work in partnership; share decision making; build the community-controlled sector; transform government organisations; and provide shared access to regional level data. Priority Reform 3 has implications for the way mainstream services need to transform to eliminate racism and deliver culturally safe services that are responsive to the needs of Indigenous Australians. This agreement provides a framework to address the entrenched inequality faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people so that their life outcomes are equal to all Australians.

The National Agreement on Closing the Gap, July 2020

Closing the Gap is a government framework aiming to reduce disadvantage among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In 2008, Australian governments first agreed to targets to ‘close the gap’ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in life expectancy, child mortality, education and employment. With four of the seven targets expiring unmet, a new approach was needed.

The National Agreement on Closing the Gap is a marked shift in the approach to the Closing the Gap framework. The agreement represents the culmination of a significant amount of work by the Joint Council on Closing the Gap in partnership between all Australian governments and the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations.

This is the first time an agreement designed to improve life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has been developed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The agreement was launched on 30 July 2020 by former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt, and Pat Turner, the convenor of the Coalition of Peaks – a representative body of more than fifty Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled peak organisations that have come together to partner with Australian governments on closing the gap.

The National Agreement is available at Closing the Gap. The Agreement has been built around four Priority Reforms:

  • Priority reform 1 – Formal partnerships and shared decision making
  • Priority reform 2 – Building the community-controlled sector
  • Priority reform 3 – Transforming government organisations
  • Priority reform 4 – Shared access to data and information at a regional level.

The Agreement also includes 17 socioeconomic outcomes and targets – see Table 1.1.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Regional Insights for Indigenous Communities website will help improve access to regional data for Indigenous communities. 

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2021–2031 (the Health Plan), provides a strong overarching policy framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing and is the first national health document to address the health targets and priority reforms of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. Data relevant to some of these targets are presented within the summary report. Assessment of progress against the targets by the Productivity Commission is available from the Closing the Gap Information Repository.

As reporting on the National Agreement on Closing the Gap targets and for the refreshed Health Plan progresses, the HPF will need to adapt. This might mean changing existing measures or adding other measures into the future.

Table 1.1. National Agreement on Closing the Gap – socioeconomic outcomes and targets

Outcome

Target

1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people enjoy long and healthy lives.

Close the Gap in life expectancy within a generation, by 2031.

2 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are born healthy and strong.

By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies with a healthy birthweight to 91 per cent.

3 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are engaged in high-quality, culturally appropriate early childhood education in their early years.

By 2025, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children enrolled in Year Before Fulltime Schooling (YBFS) early childhood education to 95 per cent.

4 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children thrive in their early years.

By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children assessed as developmentally on track in all five domains of the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) to 55 per cent.

5 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students achieve their full learning potential.

By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (age 20–24) attaining year 12 or equivalent qualification to 96 per cent.

6 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students reach their full potential through further education pathways.

By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 25–34 years who have completed a tertiary qualification (Certificate III and above) to 70 per cent.

7 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth are engaged in employment or education.

By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth (15–24 years) who are in employment, education or training to 67 per cent.

8 Strong economic participation and development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.

By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 25–64 who are employed to 62 per cent.

9 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people secure appropriate, affordable housing that is aligned with their priorities and need.

A: By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in appropriately sized (not overcrowded) housing to 88 per cent.

B:  By 2031, all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander households:

  • within discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities receive essential services that meet or exceed the relevant jurisdictional standard
  • in or near to a town receive essential services that meet or exceed the same standard as applies generally within the town (including if the household might be classified for other purposes as a part of a discrete settlement such as a ‘town camp’ or ‘town based reserve’)

10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are not overrepresented in the criminal justice system.

By 2031, reduce the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults held in incarceration by at least 15 per cent.

11 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people are not overrepresented in the criminal justice system.

By 2031, reduce the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people (10–17 years) in detention by 30 per cent.

12 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are not overrepresented in the child protection system.

By 2031, reduce the rate of over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care by 45 per cent.

13 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and households are safe.

By 2031, the rate of all forms of family violence and abuse against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children is reduced by at least 50%, as progress towards zero.

14 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people enjoy high levels of social and emotional wellbeing.

Significant and sustained reduction in suicide of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people towards zero.

15 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people maintain a distinctive cultural, spiritual, physical and economic relationship with their land and waters.

A. By 2030, a 15 per cent increase in Australia’s landmass subject to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s legal rights or interests.

B. By 2030, a 15 per cent increase in areas covered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s legal rights or interests in the sea.

16 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and languages are strong, supported and flourishing.

By 2031, there is a sustained increase in number and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages being spoken.

17 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have access to information and services enabling participation in informed decision-making regarding their own lives.

Target 17: By 2026, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have equal levels of digital inclusion
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