ANTaR welcomes the special COAG meeting devoted to Closing the Gap on Indigenous disadvantage taking place in Darwin. ANTaR President, Dr Janet Hunt, said:

“ANTaR appreciates the attention the Federal and State Governments are giving to Indigenous affairs through the COAG process. They have years of neglect to overcome and a big task is ahead, but the fact that they are giving this area of policy national attention is to be warmly welcomed.”

ANTaR emphasised that the investments governments are making in Indigenous affairs must be accompanied by a measurable, long term action plan and genuine partnerships with Indigenous people. Continued public support for investment in this area demands that funds are spent wisely, based on evidence of what works in the long term.

Dr Hunt also cautioned that the goal of Closing Gaps could not be achieved by governments working alone or against the aspirations Indigenous people, for example, through failing to support homelands communities, bilingual education, or their ability to manage their own income.

“Evidence in Australia and from overseas indicates that for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health to improve requires more than just greater investment in health and housing. There are broader social and cultural determinants of health which the World Health Organisation recognises are critical.

“Some of the key social and cultural determinants which affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health are to do with having greater control over their lives, less experience of racism and marginalisation, an ability to practice and maintain culture and language, and connection to and access to land,” she said.

“Yet we are still waiting to see the relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people put on a firm basis of respect and equal partnership by governments. Governments need to reflect the standards they have agreed to support through the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”

“ANTaR urges Governments at the COAG meeting in Darwin to urgently re-set their relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to work in respectful partnerships with them at all levels, and to heed their aspirations.

“If we are to close the gap, governments should regard cultural identity as a strength to build on, rather than a problem to be ‘fixed’,” Dr Hunt said.

Media contacts

Janet Hunt 0408 170 448
David Cooper (Darwin) 0418 486 310