Appendix B: Council of Australian Governments Indigenous National Partnerships

The National Partnership commenced on 1 January 2009 with joint funding of $564.0 million over 6 years to 2014, of which the Commonwealth contribution is $489.6 million. It consists of three elements. Element one will establish a minimum of 35 Children and Family Centres across Australia in areas of high Indigenous population and disadvantage. Element two focuses on increasing access to antenatal care, pre-pregnancy and teenage sexual and reproductive health programs by Indigenous young people. Element three will increase access to, and use of, maternal and child health services by Indigenous families.

$1.6 billion over four years, with the Commonwealth contributing $805.5 million, to address the Council of Australian Governments agreed Closing the Gap targets for Indigenous Australians, closing the life expectancy gap within a generation and halving the mortality gap for Indigenous children under five within a decade. This measure will tackle chronic disease risk factors, improve chronic disease management in primary care, improve follow up care and increase the capacity of the primary care workforce to deliver effective health care.

Over a four year period, around half of the adult Indigenous population (around 133,000 people) will receive a health check with about 400,000 chronic disease services delivered. More than 54,000 Indigenous people with a chronic disease will be provided with a self‑management program, while over 70,000 Indigenous people will have improved access to Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines.

The Commonwealth will provide an additional $1.9 billion over ten years towards remote Indigenous housing to address significant overcrowding, homelessness, poor housing conditions and the severe housing shortage in remote Indigenous communities. This brings the total investment to $5.5 billion over 10 years which will enable up to 4,200 new houses to be built in remote Indigenous communities; and upgrades to around 4,800 existing houses, with a program of major repairs commencing in 2008‑09. The States will be the main deliverers of housing in remote Indigenous communities providing standardised tenancy management and support consistent with public housing tenancy management.

$228.8 million over five years, with the Commonwealth contributing $172.7 million, to assist up to 13,000 Indigenous Australians into employment. Jobs will be created in areas of government service delivery that have previously relied on subsidies through the Community Development Employment Projects program. Public sector Indigenous employment and career development strategies will also be reviewed to increase Indigenous public sector employment to reflect Indigenous working age population share by 2015, and government will also strengthen current procurement policies to maximise Indigenous employment, skills development and business creation.

$291.2 million over six years with the Commonwealth contributing $187.7 million to improve access to services by Indigenous Australians in remote areas. This measure will implement a new service delivery model that clearly identifies service standards, roles and responsibilities and service delivery parameters to ensure that Indigenous Australians living in twenty-six selected remote locations receive and actively participate in services to close the gap in Indigenous disadvantage.