Month: June 2021

On 22 June 2021, the New South Wales Treasurer, Dominic Perrottet, delivered the 2021-22 State Budget. Under a commitment to enhance Aboriginal communities, the government has earmarked $995 million for Indigenous specific programs and services, including $43.7 million to support Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs), especially in Regional NSW. This is a major advancement for the sector, and much needed.

As the peak body for Aboriginal Health in NSW, the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW (AH&MRC) urges the Berejikilian Government to work alongside the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector to determine how the $43.7 million will be spent.

AH&MRC commends the NSW Government for its commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and in particular, the community-controlled health sector. This announcement is a step in the right direction; however, the government will need to work with ACCHOs to ensure that funds are allocated where they are most needed and support initiatives put forward by the sector. As the people on the ground, only the ACCHOs understand the direct needs of their communities.

AH&MRC would particularly like to see this money invested in the regional networks of the ACCHO sector to support the development of sustainable integrated models of care.

Under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, the NSW Government has pledged to work in full and genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples on all policies and programs that impact their communities. It will be imperative that this, and all Aboriginal specific commitments outlined in the 2021-22 budget are delivered with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the centre of decision making.

For all media enquiries, please contact AH&MRC’s Communications and Marketing Team at comms@ahmrc.org.au

The Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AH&MRC) is pleased to announce that the Aboriginal Affairs Minister, Don Harwin, has tabled the first New South Wales (NSW) Implementation Plan on Closing the Gap.

The Plan sets out the first-year roadmap for implementing the new National Agreement on Closing the Gap in NSW, which came into effect in July 2020.

The plan outlines five agreed priority reforms:

1. Formal partnerships and shared decision making;
2. Building the community-controlled sector;
3. Transforming government organisations;
4. Shared access to data and information at a regional level; and
5. Employment, business growth and economic prosperity.

Also detailed in the Plan are the actions that will be taken to achieve progress against seventeen socio-economic targets in areas including: education, justice, health and wellbeing, employment, land and waters, safety, in addition to housing and languages.

“AH&MRC has worked closely with the Government, through the NSW Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations (NSW CAPO), in the development of this plan. We have ensured that the voices of our Members are reflected and will continue to advocate on their behalf as the reforms progress” – AH&MRC CEO Robert Skeen.

The Plan acknowledges the vital role that the Aboriginal Community-Controlled Sector plays in delivering high-quality services to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across the country. One set target is to increase Government funding for programs and services delivered by Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs).

Some of the highlights for AH&MRC Members include an $8.7 million grants program to support ACCOs and Aboriginal businesses and a $7.4 million contribution to the national funding pool for ACCO sector development in the final print.

The Plan is a positive step forward for Closing the Gap. It provides a foundation to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and will transform how the Government works with Aboriginal communities.

The Implementation Plan will be submitted to the National Joint Council on Closing the Gap. Following this, the Government, alongside NSW CAPO will consult and gather feedback from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities throughout NSW to inform the implementation of the Plan.

The full Implementation Plan can be found here.

For media enquiries, please contact comms@ahmrc.org.au or call (02) 9212 4777.