Coalition of Peaks welcomes new Commonwealth funding to close the gap

The Coalition of Peaks today welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement of more than $1billion over five years of new funding measures to close the gap in life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia. The announcement comes as the Prime Minister tabled in Parliament the first Commonwealth Implementation Plan outlining how the Australian government will meet its commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

“Today is another step forward under the historic partnership between the Coalition of Peaks and Australian governments. It shows what can be achieved when the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled leaders from across the country come together to partner with governments,” said Ms Pat Turner, Lead Convener of the Coalition of Peaks.

“We are pleased that the Commonwealth’s Implementation Plan invests more than $1 billion to support implementation of the Priority Reforms and help close gaps across the socio-economic areas targeted in the National Agreement. The investment includes some very significant initiatives important to our peoples and to our wellbeing like the breakthrough in providing reparations to survivors of the Stolen Generations in territories which the Commonwealth was historically responsible for – long called for but long denied until now.”

There is also a major injection of funds for long-overdue upgrades to health services infrastructure for Aboriginal Medical Services and for early childhood support and schooling. The Coalition of Peaks also welcome the additional resources to help start-up the new Justice Policy Partnership, so necessary for identifying how best we can overcome the tragic over-incarceration of our peoples and the continuing scourge of deaths in custody. 

“We are very encouraged by the Commonwealth’s commitment to engage meaningfully with the Coalition of Peaks in the early stages of developing future funding initiatives to progress the objectives of the National Agreement. Genuine partnership and the quality of outcomes will be advanced when that happens, not only at the federal level but in all jurisdictions.”

“We look forward to working with the Commonwealth to making sure that funding is delivered consistent with the Priority Reforms in the National Agreement, where programs and services will be developed in partnership with our peoples and where funding will be delivered through our community-controlled organisations,” said Ms Turner.

“We have a long way to go to seeing improvements in the lives of our peoples across the country and for the gap in life outcomes to be closed, but today is an important step forward in making this a reality.”

“The Coalition of Peaks will be working with governments over the next ten years to make sure we do all that we can for our peoples and to ensure the full implementation of the National Agreement.”