Coalition of Peaks holds first South Australian Closing the Gap engagement in Ceduna

Ceduna will today host the first of four engagement meetings in South Australia on the development of a new national agreement on Closing the Gap.

All four meetings will be led by the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peaks (Coalition of Peaks), a body comprised of around forty Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled peak organisations that have come together to have their collective voice heard on issues that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Coalition of Peaks is working with the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to develop a new National Agreement on Closing the Gap for the next ten years. During October, as part of that process, the Coalition of Peaks are leading a series of face-to-face engagements with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and people in every Australian state and territory.

Following today’s engagement in Ceduna, the Coalition of Peaks will hold meetings in Port Augusta on October 18, Mount Gambier on October 23 and Adelaide on October 28.

The ‘Have Your Say’ survey will be open until October 25 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are unable to attend face to face meetings or for those who want to have a further say.

Lead Convener of the South Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations Network (SAACCON), Ruth Miller said that the engagement process underway helps place Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities at the centre of policy and decision making on those issues that affect them.

“We are pleased to kick off our face-to-face engagements in Ceduna today and look forward to the other regional and metropolitan meetings throughout the rest of October,” Miller said.

“The Coalition of Peaks wants to ensure that we give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples a genuine say in developing the new Closing the Gap framework.

“It is critical that governments hear the voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and that it is those voices that will inform the new National Agreement for Closing the Gap.

“By deeply listening to the expertise and lived experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and with shared decision-making power, we may get a Closing the Gap agreement that will live up to its name.”

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Coalition of Peaks holds first South Australian Closing the Gap engagement in Ceduna

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