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A significant gap remains between Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians when it comes to school attendance, academic achievement, employment and life expectancy. In 2018, the child mortality rate for Indigenous children was double the rate of their non-Indigenous counterparts. Inequalities have an impact on the progress of all of the United Nations’ Global Goals. Join Global Citizen and take action for health, education and equality here.

The Australian government has released a historic Closing the Gap agreement, featuring 16 new targets aimed at improving Indigenous outcomes across health, life expectancy, employment and education. 

The new agreement, which has been signed by all state and territory governments, has been set by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians — a key difference to the targets set in 2008, which were created with minimal input from Indigenous communities and have predominantly been unmet. 

Alongside setting the agreement, Indigenous organisations will direct the execution of the targets. 

During the launch of the new targets in Canberra on July 30, Prime Minister Scott Morrison acknowledged previous failings.

"We told Indigenous Australians what the gap was that we were going to close — and somehow thought they should be thankful for that. That was wrong-headed. That wasn't the way to do it,” Morrison said, according to Nine News. “For the first time, First Nations people will share decision-making with governments on Closing the Gap.”

In another first, the targets also include commitments on reducing Indigenous suicide, incarceration rates and the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care. 

Preserving languages, reducing overcrowded housing and increasing land rights also feature for the first time.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt applauded the new targets.

"The way all levels of government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives have come together to negotiate this National Agreement and collectively determine how we strive to close the gap demonstrates our commitment to working together through meaningful partnerships,” Wyatt said in a media release. “We know that the best outcomes are achieved when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are equal partners with governments, and when they have a direct say in how we are going to be successful in driving the desired outcomes.”

The agreement, however, hasn’t been without its share of criticism. 

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service Co-chair Nerita Waight said the incarceration rate target lacks substance and is not ambitious enough. Waight claims the 15% reduction target will not achieve parity in prison rates for Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults until 2093. 

"It feels like a very missed opportunity," she said in a statement.

Other advocates claim issues specifically related to drug, alcohol, primary and middle school education and mental health have been forgone. Activists have also criticised the government for failing to pledge new funding to support the agreement.

Morrison stated the new targets “may not include everything our people want or need to make lasting change,” but emphasised that “this is a huge step forward.”

"This isn't about buckets of money," Morrison said. "This is about changing the way we do things and ensuring that we apply the resources most effectively to achieve that."

Federal, state and local governments, and the Coalition of Peaks — a body composed of around 50 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations — are jointly accountable for the outcomes under the new agreement.

An independent Productivity Commission is expected to provide a progress report every three years. 

The 16 new targets are below. 

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

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

  3. By 2025, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children enrolled in Year Before Fulltime Schooling early childhood education to 95%

  4. 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 to 55%

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

  6. By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 25-34 years who have completed a tertiary qualification to 70%

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

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

  9. By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in appropriately sized housing to 88%

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

  11. By 2031, reduce the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people (10-17 years) in detention by at least 15%

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

  13. A significant and sustained reduction in violence and abuse against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children towards zero

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

  15. a) By 2030, a 15% increase in Australia's landmass subject to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's legal rights or interests
    b) By 2030, a 15% increase in areas covered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's legal rights or interests in the sea

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

Editorial

Demand Equity

Australian Leaders Release 16 New Targets Aimed at Improving Indigenous Inequalities

By Madeleine Keck