Fourteen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled peak organisations wrote to the Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers seeking a new Closing the Gap strategy be agreed through a formal partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled representatives. We were worried about the way governments were proposing to agree a new Closing the Gap strategy without Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s full involvement.
Our Story
We are the Coalition of Peaks – a representative body of over 80 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled peak organisations and members. We came together as an act of self-determination to be formal partners with Australian governments on Closing the Gap.
The Coalition of Peaks are accountable to our communities. We have worked for our communities for a long time and are working to ensure the full involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in shared decision-making with Australian governments across the country to improve the life outcomes of our people.
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The Timeline
Representatives of the fourteen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled peak organisations met with the Prime Minister seeking shared decision on Closing the Gap with Australian governments. The Prime Minister supported the proposal. The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed at their meeting on 12 December that the finalisation and implementation of the new Closing the Gap policy occurs through a genuine, formal partnership between COAG and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives.
Read the COAG communique here.
The Coalition of Peaks formed, with an initial membership of nearly 40 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations. The Coalition of Peaks came from across the country to meet in person to develop what a formal partnership with governments on Closing the Gap might look like.
A formal Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap between the Coalition of Peaks and COAG came into effect setting out shared decision making on the design, implementation, monitoring and review of Closing the Gap strategy for the next ten years.
Read the Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap here.
An historic first Joint Council on Closing the Gap meeting was held in Brisbane under the new Partnership Agreement. The Joint Council’s membership includes a Minister from the Commonwealth and each State and Territory Government, a representative of Australian Local Government Association; and twelve representatives elected by the Coalition of Peaks.
Read the first Joint Council on Closing the Gap communique here.
The second Joint Council on Closing the Gap meeting was held in Adelaide. The Joint Council agreed to develop a new National Agreement on Closing the Gap, to replace the governments National Indigenous Reform Agreement, and commit governments to new actions, targets and accountability arrangements over the next ten years.
The Coalition of Peaks proposed three Priority Reforms to accelerate improvements in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be the centre piece of the National Agreement. Governments agreed in principle and for the Priority Reforms to be tested through Coalition of Peaks led engagements with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Read the second Joint Council on Closing the Gap communique here.
The Coalition of Peaks led community engagements on what should be included in the new National Agreement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the country and sought feedback on the Priority Reforms.
A snapshot of the outcomes of the engagements was released and can be read here. A full report will be made public soon.
The Coalition of Peaks and governments commenced discussions on a new National Agreement on Closing the Gap, informed by the community engagements.
Prime Minister and other Commonwealth Ministers met with the Coalition of Peaks to hear the outcomes of the engagements. Based on the engagements, the Prime Minister agreed that the new National Agreement be built around the Priority Reforms. The Prime Minister also supported a fourth Priority Reform proposed through the engagements and committed funding for a new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander data project to develop regional profiles of Closing the Gap.
Read the Meeting Communique here.
The Prime Minister released the 2020 Closing the Gap report and the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition made statements on Closing the Gap in Parliament. Both committed to the implementation of the Priority Reforms and acknowledged that formal partnerships between governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are foundational to Closing the Gap.
The Partnership Working Group meets by video-conference and agrees the draft National Agreement for Joint Council’s consideration. This is the first step in the approval process of the National Agreement.
The Coalition of Peaks release a ground-breaking report on the 2019 community engagements, led by the Coalition of Peak, on what should be included in the National Agreement. The report shows that there was overwhelming support for the four Priority Reforms to be included in the National Agreement as part of changing the way governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, organisations and communities to close the gap.
Joint Council comes together by telepresence for its third meeting. Joint Council agrees to recommend the National Agreement to First Ministers, the Coalition of Peaks and the Australian Local Government Association for agreement and signing.
The new National Agreement on Closing the Gap comes into effect signed by the Coalition of Peaks, the Prime Minister, Premiers, Chief Ministers, and the President of the Australian Local Government Association. It is the first time an intergovernmental National Agreement designed to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has been developed and negotiated between governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives.
To read the new National Agreement click here
Joint Council convene for the first time since the National Agreement came into effect. The meeting focused on implementation arrangements of the Agreement. New indicators to support reporting on the Priority Reforms were agreed. A revised Family Violence and a new Access to Information target was considered. The Joint Council also agreed to a strategic plan for funding the development of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector under Priority Reform Two and initial investment priorities were agreed for the housing and early childhood sectors. The Joint Council also considered the first annual Partnership Health Check.
The communique of the meeting is available here.
The fifth meeting of the Joint Council was convened via videoconference.
The Joint Council considered the impact of COVID-19 on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and noted the success of the partnership arrangements between community controlled organisations and governments. The Joint Council agreed an amendment to the National Agreement with addition of an access to information target and the revised Family Violence Target. The Joint Council also agreed and released a Joint Communications Strategy.
The full communique is available here
The Prime Minister today hosted the second roundtable of senior Ministers and the Coalition of Peaks, a representative body made up of more than 50 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled peak organisations.
The Prime Minister noted the joint success of the Australian Government’s and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations led by NACCHO in supporting their communities through the COVID pandemic.
The full communique is available here.
The Coalition of Peaks representatives virtually attended the sixth meeting of the Joint Council on Closing
the Gap today, the meeting focused on the parties Implementation Plans.
Who We Are
The Coalition of Peaks is an act of self-determination and is made up of over 80 Aboriginal and Torres Islander community-controlled organisations who have worked with our communities for decades.
Our Members
Our membership comprises nearly every national, state and territory community controlled peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia.
Why We Formed
The Coalition of Peaks believe that when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have ownership and a real say over policies and programs that impact on us, the outcomes are better. We have come together to be formal partners with Australian Governments and to work together to improve the life outcomes of our people.
The Partnership Agreement
In March 2019, an historic Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap was agreed between the Commonwealth Government, state and territory governments, local government and the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peaks setting out shared decision making arrangements on Closing the Gap for the next ten years.
Our Partners
The Coalition of Peaks work for and are accountable to our communities. We are in a formal partnership with Australian governments to improve the lives of our people. The Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap sets out how we work with our government partners.
Become A Member
If you want to join us, and work together to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, become a member of the Coalition of Peaks today. Find out whether your organisation meets the membership criteria here.
