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Closing the Gap is a national movement to work towards improving outcomes for Aboriginal communities. All of our work with Aboriginal people, families, communities and organisations contributes to Closing the Gap.
Closing the Gap is based on the fact that when Aboriginal people have a genuine say in things that affect them, better life outcomes are achieved. It also recognises that governments need to make significant changes in the way they work with Aboriginal people to make real, lasting change.
The National Agreement is key to Closing the Gap. It's a commitment by all Governments to improve how they work with and support Aboriginal communities. It outlines a series of principles called Priority Reforms, and a list of Socioeconomic Targets to improve outcomes for communities.
The Priority Reforms are an important part of Closing the Gap. They explain how Government must work differently with Aboriginal people, communities, and organisations to achieve real progress. All government agencies in NSW including DCJ are responsible for five Priority Reforms. Read about them below.
Priority Reform 1: Formal partnerships and shared decision making
This means:
Priority Reform 2: Building the Community-Controlled sector
This means:
Priority Reform 3: Transforming government organisations
This means:
Priority Reform 4: Shared access to data and information
This means:
Priority Reform 5: Employment, business growth and economic prosperity
This means:
The National Agreement has 19 national Socioeconomic Targets across areas that have an impact on life outcomes for Aboriginal people. Progress against these targets is an indicator of whether change is happening. DCJ is responsible for five Socioeconomic Targets.
In Australia, a cycle of systemic disadvantage and intergenerational trauma has created conditions where Aboriginal communities are not appropriately supported in their work to heal from the abuse of past systems. Despite this, Aboriginal communities continue to be strong and resilient.
The National Agreement on Closing the Gap is an agreement between the Australian Government and the Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations (CAPO). CAPO is a group of Aboriginal organisations that came together to represent Aboriginal people's voices. They make sure Aboriginal people are involved in all work towards Closing the Gap.
In NSW, all government departments work in partnership with organisations from CAPO to drive progress towards Closing the Gap. At DCJ, we work the most with AbSec (NSW Child, Family and Community Peak Aboriginal Corporation) and ALS (NSW Aboriginal Legal Service).
We work with AbSec and ALS on important initiatives that impact Aboriginal communities. They help us make sure we’re listening to the needs of Aboriginal communities and including Aboriginal people in decision making. This is a crucial step to achieve better outcomes for Aboriginal communities in NSW.
Earlier this month, we published a new Implementation Plan for Closing the Gap. We developed the plan in partnership with NSW CAPO, and we'll be delivering the projects together over the next three years. It includes a list of key projects that Government and CAPO are leading to help achieve our Closing the Gap goals.
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