Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory

The Australian Government introduced legislation to Parliament on 23 November 2011 to tackle priority issues in the Northern Territory. It simultaneously released a Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory: Policy Statement.

Read the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory: Policy Statement
PDF Version [ 1.2 MB] | RTF Version [ 144kb]

New Video – Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory: Next Steps

The Australian Government has produced a video to help explain the various measures in the legislative package to Indigenous community members. It is available in key Aboriginal languages spoken in the Northern Territory as well as English. Watch the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory: Next Steps video.

Stronger Futures speeches, media releases and draft legislation

Read the Minister’s Second Reading speech
Read the media release: Community stores licensing strengthened to deliver more benefits
Read the media release: Further action to tackle alcohol abuse in the Northern Territory

Access the draft legislation at these links:

Background to the Stronger Futures legislative package

Most of the new measures were announced by the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs on 14 November 2011.

Read the media release: Education, jobs and tackling alcohol abuse the key to stronger futures in the Northern Territory
Read the media release: Building stronger futures for children in the Northern Territory

The Minister also announced a jobs package.

Read the media release: More jobs, better job opportunities for Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory

The Government asked for a review of the Stronger Futures legislation before it passes through the Parliament and the Senate Community Affairs Committee is currently conducting an inquiry. This provides people with a further opportunity to contribute their views on the specific initiatives proposed in the legislation. For more information, go to the Senate Community Affairs Committee inquiry website.

The new measures respond directly to priorities clearly identified by Indigenous people in the Stronger Futures consultations undertaken in the Northern Territory in June–August 2011. They are also informed by findings of the landmark Northern Territory Emergency Response Evaluation Report 2011, released on 10 November 2011.

Read the media release: Independent NTER evaluation finds Aboriginal communities safer

On 18 October 2011, the Minister released the report on the consultations undertaken in the Northern Territory.

Read the report: Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory Report on Consultations
Read the media release: Aboriginal people clear about their priorities for building stronger futures in the Northern Territory

O’BrienRich Research Group were engaged to analyse the consultation feedback to ensure that this report provides an accurate summary of what was said during the consultations. Its data analysis is contained in the Stronger Futures Quantitative Analysis Report.

Between late June and mid-August, more than 450 meetings were held with people in around 100 communities and town camps across the Northern Territory. The consultations included whole-of-community meetings, smaller meetings with individuals, families and other groups, public meetings in major towns, and meetings with key organisations.

The consultation report provides a summary of what people said. Read the Executive Summary. The Cultural and Indigenous Research Centre Australia (CIRCA) also provided an independent report on the conduct of the consultations.

The consultations followed the launch on 22 June 2011 of the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory discussion paper, which set out priorities for building on the work of the Northern Territory Emergency Response. The discussion paper was released jointly by the Prime Minister and the Minister.

Broadcast date: 28 June 2011

View Video Transcript

TRANSCRIPT: Launch of Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory discussion paper

Jenny Macklin: I’m very pleased to be launching this discussion paper today – Stronger Futures – which is all about starting the discussion with Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory and others who are interested in making sure we address the critical issues that still face the lives of people who live in Aboriginal communities across the Territory.

Julia Gillard: Progress has been made across the Northern Territory Emergency Response. We are seeing women and children feeling safer, having more money to spend on the basics of life, on food and clothing for kids. We’re seeing kids being fed through schools, 7000 meals a day being provided to children in schools. We’re seeing programs coming into effect to deal with alcohol and the pressures that that brings to Indigenous communities. We’re making progress on housing.

Jenny Macklin: This discussion paper will be the start of wide-ranging consultations that we will conduct with people in their communities, in their towns and cities across the Territory. We do recognise that the gaps are still far too wide in the Northern Territory – infant mortality; the attendance rates at school; the achievement rates at school; job opportunities; alcohol abuse. All of these issues we know continue to be critical for Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory. We want to talk with people about the best way that we can continue to work with local Aboriginal people to see improvement in their lives.

Julia Gillard: The consultation paper, that we are launching today, the discussion paper is called ‘Stronger futures in the Northern Territory’. Now we want to have a genuine dialogue, but I do want to give the following commitments as we have that dialogue. I want to make the following commitments about the next steps: first, the views of Aboriginal and non-Indigenous people will be at the centre of shaping what we do to deal with these levels of disadvantage – huge levels of disadvantage. We are committed to ensuring that all future initiatives comply with the Racial Discrimination Act and the Government will continue to support the Northern Territory government to strengthen the capacity to meet the high levels of need for vital services.

Over the last four years, the various Northern Territory Emergency Response measures have made progress in improving people’s lives, but the situation for many Indigenous people and families in the Northern Territory remains critical.

The Australian Government identified three key areas:

School attendance and educational achievement — ensuring all children go to school and succeed
Economic development and employment — ensuring Indigenous people are part of the Territory’s economy and that people have jobs
Tackling alcohol abuse — ensuring people and communities do not go on suffering the devastation caused by too much alcohol.

The Government also consulted on these areas:

The Australian Government is committed to go on talking and working with Aboriginal people, leaders and communities as directions and policies for future work are developed.

To see where the consultations have occurred, download these schedules:

Schedule of community consultations by DATE
PDF Version [ 24kb] | RTF Version [ 444kb]

Schedule of community consultations by REGION
PDF Version [ 24kb] | RTF Version [ 447kb]

Further information is available from Government Business Managers (GMBs) and Indigenous Engagement Officers (IEOs) in communities and from the Indigenous Coordination Centres (ICCs) in:

Darwin Ph: (08) 8928 6100
Alice Springs Ph: (08) 8958 4200
Tennant Creek Ph: (08) 7978 1900
Katherine Ph: (08) 7978 2000
Nhulunbuy Ph: (08) 8968 8400.

Published: 6 February 2012