CLOSING THE GAP

“To be the great nation we can be, we
have to accept and acknowledge the
horrific tragedies of the past but not let the
pain of the past define our future. Because
I can see these stories of great change
and great hope, I don’t think you can allow
yourself to be broken by the negativity.
This is about our resilience as a nation
and our ability to build a life together.”
Jeremy Donovan
NATIONAL POLICY TO BUILD
SAFE COMMUNITIES
There are many layers to building safe and resilient
communities, including adequate infrastructure
and access to services. This is a significant
challenge in remote communities, where families
are often living in overcrowded houses which
can lead to health and social problems.
Addressing substance misuse, violence and
incarceration are immediate priorities to ensure safe
and functioning communities. While government
has a crucial role to play in ensuring adequate
infrastructure and services are in place, it is essential
that we work closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people to implement the local solutions.
Keeping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
and families safe is a priority for all governments. The
National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children
2009-2020 reflects the long-term commitment of all
governments and the non-government sector to ensure
the safety and wellbeing of Australia’s children. One
of its priorities is to reduce the over-representation
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and
young people needing child protection services.
The Third Action Plan of the National Framework
will help reduce the likelihood of children entering
the child protection system. Each strategy and
action will be consistent with the five principles
of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child
Placement Principle (prevention, partnership,
placement, participation and connection).
TRANSLATING POLICY INTO ACTION
Making communities safer
Reducing violence
During the two years to June 2015, Indigenous
Australians were hospitalised for assault at 14 times
the rate of non-Indigenous Australians. Indigenous
females were 30 times as likely to have been
hospitalised for assault as non-Indigenous females,
and Indigenous males were 9 times as likely as
non-Indigenous males. This contrast is particularly
stark in remote areas. The Indigenous female rate
was 53 times the non-Indigenous female rate in
remote areas (and 38 times in very remote areas).
Indigenous children are much more likely to experience
child abuse and neglect. In 2014-15, Indigenous
children aged 0-17 years were 6.7 times as likely
to be the subject of substantiated child protection
notifications as non-Indigenous children. These
problems are complex and intergenerational.
Factors such as poor education and low employment
contribute to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
being over-represented in the criminal justice system
– as at 30 June 2016 there were 10,596 prisoners who
identified as Indigenous, representing 27 per cent of total
prisoners (ABS, 2016). The Indigenous imprisonment
rate is 13 times the rate for non-Indigenous Australians
and has increased by 42 per cent since 2006. Rates
of re-offending are high and in 2016 the majority (63
per cent) of Indigenous Australians were in prison for
violent related offences and offences that cause harm.
In 2014-15, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
women were 32 times more likely to be hospitalised
due to family violence related assaults than other
CLOSING THE GAP: PRIME MINISTER'S REPORT 2017
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