Priority Reform One
What is Priority Reform One?
Developing and strengthening structures to ensure the full involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in shared decision-making at the national, state, and local or regional level and embedding their ownership, responsibility, and expertise to close the gap.
Outcome – Shared decision-making: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are empowered to share decision-making authority with governments to accelerate policy and place-based progress on Closing the Gap through formal partnership arrangements.
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Priority Reform One is about building and strengthening structures to ensure the full involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with governments on Closing the Gap at every level.
We want to see formal partnerships established across the country at state, territory, and regional levels between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and governments on Closing the Gap which reflect the strong partnership elements in the Partnership Agreement.
Where there are existing partnerships, we want them strengthened to ensure that representatives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are chosen by those communities and are properly supported to share decision-making about Closing the Gap in their locations.
Priority Reform One is intended to take us beyond the old ways of governments setting up their own structures to consult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
There should be formal agreements in place between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and governments about how we will work together to close the gap.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should choose their own representatives, not governments. There should be no more handpicked advisors or government appointments.
It is essential that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives have independent policy support and advice made available to us to support our decision-making.
It is also important that, in a formal partnership, everyone has access to the same information and data. This helps support fair and informed decision-making.
The target and indicators for Priority Reform One can be found in the National Agreement.
There was widespread support from the Coalition of Peaks-led engagements for Priority Reform One being included in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
How is Priority Reform One being implemented?
The Parties to the National Agreement commit to building and strengthening structures that empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to share decision-making authority with governments to accelerate policy and place-based progress against Closing the Gap.
Priority Reform One seeks to apply the principles in the historic and unprecedented Partnership Agreement to more partnership arrangements between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and governments at all levels. This was strongly supported by the 2019 engagements.
There are two forms of partnerships under the National Agreement:
Policy partnerships
These are created for the purpose of working on discrete policy areas, such as education, health, or housing.Place-based partnerships
These are based on a specific region. You can find out more about place-based partnerships further down the page.
Policy partnerships
The National Agreement states that by 2022, policy partnerships will be established in the following five areas:
Justice – established mid-2021
Social and emotional wellbeing – established in August 2022
Early Childhood Care and Development, including out of home care – established in August 2022
Housing – established in December 2022
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages – established in December 2022
Other policy partnerships may be established in addition to these five priority areas.
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Previous attempts to address the policy areas which have been identified as priorities under the National Agreement have been varied. In some jurisdictions there are existing agreements in place, such as the Aboriginal Justice Agreements.
The policy partnerships under the National Agreement differ, as they bring all jurisdictions together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parties to share decision-making. They are not roundtables or advisory groups; they are an opportunity to work in partnership to achieve the outcomes outlined in the National Agreement.
Shared-decision making is a cornerstone in the National Agreement under Priority Reform One.
Decision-making in this way, by consensus and where the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are equal to governments, has not been attempted previously. This new way of working ensures parties can regularly and directly meet with senior government officials to make decisions together, and governments are required to report on progress. Working in a partnership requires governments to relinquish some power and offers an opportunity for innovative policy development and improved outcomes.
The Commonwealth Government has committed to funding each policy partnership to support this work. This funding can be used in many ways, including supporting participation of Representatives in this process and to commission research to be discussed at policy partnership meetings.
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To identify opportunities to work more effectively across governments, reduce gaps and duplication, and improve outcomes under Closing the Gap. Specifically, the policy partnerships seek to:
Drive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-led outcomes on Closing the Gap.
Enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives, communities, and organisations to negotiate and implement agreements with governments to implement all Priority Reforms and policy specific strategies to support Closing the Gap.
Support additional community-led development initiatives.
Bring together all government parties, together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, organisations, and communities to the collective task of Closing the Gap.
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Policy partnerships have no more than 20 signatories and at least equal representation of Coalition of Peaks/Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Parties to Government Parties.
The Parties of the policy partnership typically include:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Parties
Lead Peak/Co-Chair – one senior official appointed from the Coalition of Peaks Representatives).
Coalition of Peaks Representatives – five representatives of the Coalition of Peaks Members, including the Lead Peak.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Representatives – five representatives selected through an open and transparent Expression of Interest process by the Coalition of Peaks Representatives (also known as ‘Independent Representatives’).
Government Parties
Lead Commonwealth Agency/Co-Chair – one senior official nominated from the Commonwealth Government at the Deputy Secretary level.
Government Representatives – eight senior officials from each state and territory nominated by their jurisdiction.
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Policy partnerships report to the Joint Council on Closing the Gap on the recommendations made, implementation, and their progress as a partnership overall. As such, policy partnerships meet at least four times per year, where Parties will deliberate and progress agreed actions.
All Parties are jointly responsible for:
Developing a joined-up approach to the policy area including:
Identifying opportunities. towork more effectively across government
Reducing gaps and duplication.
Improving outcomes.
Agreeing the priorities and work plan for the partnership.
Conducting and commissioning research and studies, analysing data and information, preparing reports.
Developing recommendations for action.
Tracking and reporting on progress.
Policy partnerships will also develop linkages across other partnerships to share insights, particularly if there is cross-over in the policy areas.
Place-based partnerships
Under Priority Reform One of the National Agreement, provision is made for the development of Place-based Partnerships which are “based on a specific region, between government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives, and others by agreement, from those specific areas” (Clause 30), and which “respond to local priorities” (Clause 35).
By 2024 there must be at least six new place-based partnerships established across Australia.
Governments have a long history of doing place-based work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Examples include the COAG Trials in the early 2000s, remote service delivery sites under the original Closing the Gap framework, and Empowered Communities.
Some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are also using place-based approaches to strengthen local governance, cultural authority, and self-determination. Examples include the Ngarrindjeri and Wiradjuri nation-building initiatives.
Place-based partnerships under the National Agreement will be a signed formal agreement between all the parties.
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Not all place-based work in the past has been successful, or positive for communities. What’s different about the place-based partnerships under the National Agreement is:
Decision-making will be shared between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and governments.
Long-term community development will be the underlying principle of the partnerships, meaning they are holistic, responsive to community aspirations and local priorities, and sustainable.
Partnerships will track implementation of all aspects of Closing the Gap in the chosen locations, to demonstrate the practical impacts of the National Agreement on the ground.
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Place-based partnerships could be beneficial for communities because they can:
Develop and strengthen local governance.
Support communities to define and pursue their priorities and aspirations.
Grow community-led initiatives.
Ensure governments are working in partnership with community towards their goals.
Communities have a choice about whether they want to develop a place-based partnership with governments, and they need to consider whether the benefits of the partnership will be suitable for their community.
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Place-based partnerships should suit the local needs of the community and should be community-led. There are some common elements for place-based partnerships under the National Agreement which aim to strengthen accountability of all parties – especially government parties – to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.
Key elements include:
A formal agreement signed by all the parties.
Shared decision-making between government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Adequate funding provided to support the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parties to be partners with governments.
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Place-based partnerships are made up of:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: That means Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives from the community/ies determined through a transparent process based on local structures. A representative of the jurisdictional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak body in the state or territory should also be a party to the Agreement. Representatives will be accountable to their own organisations and communities.
Governments: That means representatives from local, state/ territory and commonwealth governments with the right level of authority to deliver on the partnership goals.
Other parties: Place-based partnerships may also want other local stakeholders involved, including local businesses or community organisations. These other parties will have to be agreed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and governments.
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Maningrida, Northern Territory
East Kimberley Region of Western Australia
Doomadgee, Queensland
Tamworth, New South Wales
Western suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia
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Priority Reform One
Formal partnerships and shared decision-making
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Priority Reform Two
Building the community-controlled sector
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Priority Reform Three
Transforming government organisations
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Priority Reform Four
Shared access to data and information at a regional level
