Social Justice Report 2005 :

Social Justice Report 2005

Appendix 2 : Summary of each ATSIC Regional Plan

Regional Map
Victoria
- Binjirru Regional Plan 2004 - 2006
- Tumbukka Regional Plan 2004 - 2006
New South Wales
Queensland
Northern Territory
Western Australia
South Australia
Tasmania
- Tasmanian Regional Aboriginal Council: Regional Legacy Plan June 2005
Download PDF version of Appendix 2 (1.34 MB)

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) was established in 1990 by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Act 1989 (Cth). The Act made provisions for the establishment of 35 representative Regional Councils on behalf of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia.

Under Section 94 of the ATSIC Act 1989, each Regional Council was required to develop a Regional Plan which aimed at 'improving the economic, social, and cultural status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents of the region.' 1 The Plans, developed in consultation with communities, aimed to identify funding priorities in each region, which ensured Councils a direct input into the ATSI C budget process.

This appendix is a summary of the most recent and current Regional Plans developed by each Regional Council prior to the abolishment of ATSIC. Many of the Councils refer to these Plans as legacy plans or documents. Most Plans present statistical and demographic data pertaining to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people residing in the region. This data assists in informing the identified priority policy areas. The Regional Plans seek to address inequities and disadvantage within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, as well as to record, promote and build upon achievements.

This appendix presents the priority areas identified in each Regional Plan (variously called goals, aims, outcomes etc) as well as a selection of the strategies (outputs) proposed to address the issues. Common themes among the Plans include health, education, capacity development and governance, economic/employment participation, land and heritage, law and justice, housing and infrastructure, essential services delivery and family violence.

Many of the Plans are detailed and broad reaching in their scope. This appendix provides a short summary of each Plan. It also identifies whether the Plan has aligned its priority areas with the COAG Priority Indicators.

A summary of each Plan was prepared to demonstrate to governments that ATSIC Regional Councils had consulted widely with their constituents to develop priorities and actions that would guide their efforts to addressing the poverty, dysfunction and despair experience by Indigenous Australians nationally. The Plans generally aim to empower Indigenous Australians to take control of their futures and to improve their socio-economic status in a responsible way within a self determination or human rights context. The summaries have been produced because significant numbers of Indigenous peoples have expressed that they do not want government to again ask them 'what are your priorities?' when they have in recent times expressed their priorities to Regional Councils and government officials and they are tired of being asked the same questions and giving the same answers.

The summaries in this appendix can, and should, inform Indigenous Coordination Centre (ICC) Managers of the priorities that must be addressed, or should form the backbone of community consultations in the formation of SRAs and RPAs in each ICC region. Indigenous community representatives will also find them informative to stimulate their thinking on what strategies might be applicable to their community.

While the Regional Plans are public documents, they are not easily obtainable. Requests for Regional Council Plans should be made to the Indigenous Coordination Centre that exists in each of the former ATSIC Regions or through the Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination in Canberra.

The Plans are summarised by state or territory.

Regional Map

Download ATSIC Regions map 950KB png

Victoria

Binjirru Regional Plan 2004 - 2006

Family/Community Environment

Health: Advance health outcomes of Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander communities, including substance abuse issues.
Strategies: Convene regional forum bringing together health service providers; provide information to mainstream health providers to develop culturally appropriate programs; build capacity of local communities to meet community health needs; ensure RCIADIC recommendations are implemented.
Family Wellbeing:

Elders, women, men and youth: Improve social, physical and emotional well being for Elders; women; men and youth.
Strategies: Establish a range of agreement and initiatives to address the needs of the community such as: role model programs; fitness programs; family violence and sexual assault programs; parenting programs, assist youth to rediscover culture, programs for youth in juvenile justice system, convene youth forum.

Sport and Recreation: Indigenous people having access to and participate in sporting and recreational activities.
Strategies: ensure adequate funding of programs; assess community sport and recreational needs; promote benefits of sports and recreational activity.

Family Violence: To have a community where people feel safe and are able to live free of family violence.
Strategies: Develop regional family violence plan; develop professional skills of workers engaged in the area of family violence and sexual assault; develop family violence awareness programs; ensure services are available for children.

Housing and Infrastructure: To provide housing services that meets the needs of Indigenous people living in the region.
Strategies: Collect data against objectives of 'Building a Better Future Policy'; adopt Regional Housing Infrastructure Plan; seek removal of land taxes from CHIP housing.
Community Capacity:
1. Planning and Coordination: Ensure communities have capacity to engage in and conduct effective and culturally specific planning processes.
  Strategies: Develop reporting processes; monitor and evaluate implementation of the Regional Plan; hold regular community meetings.
2. Governance: Increased ability for communities to be self-determining and self-governing.
  Strategies: Develop strategies with funding bodies to meet governance needs; access training and professional development programs; ensure effective service delivery by mainstream organisations.
3. Community Consultation: Effective culturally specific community consultation models that deliver best practice and real outcomes.
  Strategies: Develop community consultation strategy that supports effective consultation with all areas of the community.
4. Media: Develop comprehensive media strategy that delivers up to date culturally relevant information to community.
  Strategies: Ensure Indigenous media is supported; ensure a diverse range of media is used.

Human Development and Safety

Law and Justice: To reduce the over-representation of Indigenous peoples at all levels of the justice system.
Strategies: Ensure Family Violence Prevention and legal Service is actively supported; review Aboriginal Justice Agreement and RCIADIC recommendations; Advocate Community Justice Panels; support advocacy role for Elders; continue to provide diversion programs; support post-release programs.
Education: All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people participating in education and training that improves their opportunities for gainful employment, and that improves their quality of life, as is the right of all people.
Strategies: Introduce Indigenous studies into the curriculum for all schools; facilitate forum on Indigenous education; work with schools to introduce Indigenous cultural programs; address education needs of people in justice system.
Wealth Generation and Economic Development
1. Economic Development: Increase community involvement in sustainable economic initiatives and business enterprise.
  Strategies: Identify data to demonstrate where change is occurring; investigate opportunities for cultural/eco tourism; support the development of Indigenous business and CDEP; provide support through mentoring and training programs
2. Employment: To improve Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander employment opportunities across the region.
  Strategies: Form partnerships with employers; promote the employment of Indigenous people in a wide range of roles by local and state government.
3. CDEP: Improve well being of Indigenous people through provision of training and access to long term employment.
  Strategies: Ensure community is aware of benefits/successes of CDEP programs; ensure adequate support is given to CEP participants; provide quality training.
Land, Sea, Culture and Heritage:
1. Land Rights: Reinforce unique status of Victorian Indigenous peoples as the original owners/custodians and decision makers of traditional land and waters.
  Strategies: Promote awareness of the social and cultural significance of community owned land; support acquisitions of land by individuals and communities.
2. Native Title: Reinforce unique status of Victorian Indigenous peoples as the original owners/custodians and decision makers of traditional land and waters and support Native Title and land acquisitions.
  Strategies: Lobby for legislative change; engage in high levels discussion on Native Title; reinvigorate Native Title Agreement Framework; Strengthen services offered by ILC.
3. Culture and Heritage: Recognise and respect the distinct and diverse Victorian Indigenous peoples and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories, languages and environments and promote their preservation.
  Strategies: Ensure keeping places are adequately resourced and that these facilities continue to grow in the community; provide support to artists in relation to copyright and intellectual property issues; recognise value of cultural programs as diversionary programs for yout

Tumbukka Regional Plan 2004 - 2006

Health: Self determination in the provision of health services ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have access to Aboriginal owned and operated health services.
Strategies: Establish agreements to strengthen partnerships; data collection; increase knowledge of health issues; develop programs and build capacity; monitor/review health services.

Economic Participation

Economic Development: Actively encourage and support economic development opportunities in Indigenous communities in region.
Strategies: Data collection; provide support to new and existing businesses; develop regional approach to the development of cultural/eco tourism; identify interstate and international strategies; improve governance of Indigenous businesses and organisations.
Employment: Increasing number, range and availability of employment opportunities to Indigenous people in region.
Strategies: Develop capacity of community organisations to increase the range of programs they are able to run, enhancing local employment opportunities; convene summit to develop community based employment; establish exchange program between public sector and Indigenous organisations to share work experience.
CDEP: CDEPs to develop meaningful employment, training and enterprise development.
Strategies: Review CDEP performance; highlight success of CDEP; develop clear direction and purpose for CDEP; establish mentor program.

Land, Sea, Culture and Heritage

Confirmation of Aboriginality: Ensure that confirmation of Aboriginality occurs under just and fair circumstances and only to those of Aboriginal descent.
Strategies: Establish a position on the process of confirmation
Heritage and Culture:To preserve, maintain, protect and enhance the rights of Aboriginal people.
Strategies: Support activities that create opportunities for Indigenous people to participate in cultural activities that raise awareness of Indigenous arts; establish arts program in schools; seek repatriation of ancestral remains and cultural objects.
Native Title: To have traditional lands returned to the traditional owners and to acquire/regain land in order to improve the economic, cultural and social status of Aboriginal communities in the region.
Strategies: Develop MOU between traditional owners and communities that will allow input into management of lands and sites; source resources for traditional owners to pursue native title claims; recommend review of ATSI Heritage Protection Act.
Reconciliation: Achieve levels of reconciliation to meet the needs of local communities.
Strategies: Undertake activities that will raise awareness of reconciliation.
Land and Water Management: Increasing Indigenous involvement in land and water management.
Strategies: Support active participation of Indigenous people in the design, development and implementation of land, water and environmental programs.
Border Issues: Actively engage with other agencies in NSW, Vic and SA to address border issues.
Strategies: Ensure that Indigenous people living in border areas are not being prevented from accessing services because a border lies between them and the service they need; hold annual border conference meetings between state/federal representatives.

Family Wellbeing:

Women: Improve the social, physical and emotional well-being of Aboriginal women in region.
Strategies: Monitor and evaluate the quality of delivery of women's services; develop innovative projects that support women; identify gaps in delivery.
Men: Improve the social, physical and emotional well-being of Aboriginal men.
Strategies: Hold information forums to provide support, advice, referral to men; support the provision of anger management programs; identify innovative projects that will provide space and services for men.
Youth: To support the aspirations of, and continued resourcing of youth.
Strategies: Develop overarching strategy for the development and support of youth; ensure appropriate range of services are available; assist young people to develop parenting strategies.
Sport and Recreation: Improve Aboriginal people's access to, and participation in, sporting and recreational activities.
Strategies: establish, support and promote regional games; assist mainstream sporting programs to provide culturally appropriate environmental for Indigenous people.
Family Violence: To promote the health and viability of families by developing policies which support families in our community.
Strategies: Develop policies and actions that identify major initiatives to address issues of family violence; develop regional family violence action place; develop professional skills of workers and community members engaged in family violence and sexual assault work; ensure service providers are able to provide culturally appropriate services to Indigenous people.
Children: Ensuring our children are in a safe, secure and healthy environment where their cultural identity can be developed and strengthened.
Strategies: Map services; identify gaps in delivery; develop strategies that address the needs of children and support their development.

Law and Justice: Address the ongoing issue of over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within all levels of the criminal justice system.
Strategies: Develop programs that provide support to offenders to assist them in returning to their communities; review cross-cultural training to workers in the justice system; support and promote diversionary and early intervention programs; support RAJAC regional plan and play active role in the review of the Victorian Justice Plan.

Education: Work towards educational and training outcomes that are above that of all other Australians.
Strategies: Data collection; introduce Indigenous studies in schools; address retention and completion rates; work with peak agencies to ensure culturally appropriate education.

Housing and Infrastructure: provide appropriate, affordable housing to Aboriginal people in region.
Strategies: Data collection; support/encourage participation in Home Purchasing Incentive Scheme; adopt regional Housing Infrastructure plan.

Community Capacity:

Planning and Coordination: Ensure communities have the capacity to engage in/conduct planning processes.
Strategies: Ensure performance indicators have relevance to community; ensure regional plans reflect community needs and ambitions.
Networking: Encourage and ensure appropriate networking opportunities.
Strategies: Develop opportunities that support networking community and all levels of government, service providers and local/regional communities.
Communication: Increasing communications opportunities between community and government agencies, service providers, community representatives and other communities.
Strategies: Establish protocols within the community; liaison protocols; utilising a media strategy.

New South Wales

Binaal Billa Regional Council Strategic Plan 2004-2007

Education:

Early School Engagement
Higher Education
Attainment at all levels
Job Readiness

Strategies: Family and community responsibility; school readiness - pre-school and nutrition; regular health checks - hearing and eyesight; student mentoring and support; identifying and addressing racism and discrimination in education systems; access - transport; good accommodation that support educational attainment i.e.: hostel accommodation; family income support linked to education so that poverty is not a barrier.

Employment and Self-Generated Income

Meaningful work
Strengthen Economy
Build assets

Strategies: Build model of the Aboriginal economy in the region; identify human resources and skills, community assets and opportunities; develop strategies based on those resources ad assets.

Healthy Housing and Infrastructure:

Affordable Housing
Emergency Housing
Safe Infrastructure
Best Management

Strategies: Work closely with Aboriginal Housing Office; seek to build on the good home base and good habits of home ownership; improve private rental standards; ensure adequate hostel and emergency accommodation; develop exemplary management of community housing in the region.

Good Health:

Early childhood health
Access to health services
Health education
Mental health

Strategies: Education of parents and community; culturally accessible health services; improved transport to medical services; education and training in health and nutrition for adults; access to mental health counselling provide education.

Living Culture and Heritage:

Aboriginal culture
Sites of significance

Strategies: Aboriginal culture and heritage studies to be included in education curricula; Preserve, protect and reinforce Aboriginal culture; ensure protection of access to significant sites and environments.

Land and Water Rights: Positively contribute to focusing on resource management, restoration and environment protection.
Strategies: Increase ownership and sustainable environment management levels; preserve fishing rights in regional rivers/waterways; increase involvement in native biodiversity preservation; develop partnership agreements.

Strong Families: Develop strong, educated, healthy, harmonious families.
Strategies: Support parents to look after their children using COAG indicators; strengthen extended families; support parents to become good household managers; develop and promote positive male roles in family and community life; prevent family violence; limit impact of alcohol, drugs and gambling.

Justice, Prevention and Rehabilitation: Reduce negative involvement of Indigenous people with the criminal justice system.
Strategies: Ensure access to culturally appropriate legal aid services; provide effective restorative justice, prevention and rehabilitation services with special emphasis on youth; provide community education services on rights/responsibilities; removing discriminatory laws and practices that negatively impact Aboriginal people in the region.

* Regional Plan aligned to COAG Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage (OID) Indicators.

Kamilaroi Regional Council Regional Plan 2004-2007

Family Violence: Significantly reduce incidence of family violence in region by empowering and strengthening families and communities. Strategies: Participatory formulation of linked, appropriate and culturally sensitive Regional Family Violence awareness, intervention an education strategies; proactive intervention through direct support for victims; counselling perpetrators, support discipline of offenders; support culture/heritage regeneration programs that nurture pride, self-confidence and self-esteem; identify economic causes through capacity building.

Capacity building: Facilitate self-determination and self-sufficiency develop community capacity to engage agencies effectively on needs and service delivery and enhance capacity and governance in community organisations. Strategies: Establish community group/service provider partnerships; promote regional forum of community groups; develop regional agreement; convene Regional Youth Forum; facilitate development of community level service agreements committing agencies to design and delivery of services that meet specific local needs.

Culture and heritage: Advocate cultural heritage through re-engagement with Elders, reinvigorating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity; promote art, language maintenance and cultural preservation. Strategies: Encourage local communities/community-based organisations to develop unified vision of local heritage, culture, language and tribal rights; develop partnerships to benefit culture and heritage maintenance/promotion; canvass TAFE/universities to provide site officer training programs.

Economic Development and Employment: Advocacy of economic development in employment and training and business development and support.
Strategies: Facilitate transition in CDEP employment and training practices; identify information on employment and training benchmarks; lobby for more CDEP numbers; conduct audits of local business skills identify small business opportunities; explore creation of regional revolving fund/Grameen bank microfinance facility; negotiate with local businesses for traineeships and work experience.

Education and training: Advocacy focus on education, retention, completion, incentives to higher education, career awareness, employment preparedness, cultural awareness and improved support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
Strategies: Enhancing numeracy and literacy; enhancing retention through greater family and community involvement in schools; increase numbers of ATSI teachers; encourage AECGs to implement Aboriginal Education Policy; establish homework centres; encourage mature age study.

Health and Wellbeing: Appropriate and adequate health service delivery, with a specific emphasis on primary health care and linking heal-related issues.
Strategies: Enhance general health standard with attention to nutrition, hygiene, minimising substance abuse; attention given to environmental health issues such as water, waste disposal, power etc; better access to appropriate housing; improved access to medical transport.

Sport and recreation: Target young people and families - focussing on participation in sports, after school activities and skills development.
Strategies: Audit of sporting/recreation activities, organisations, associations, venues, contact details; disseminate sports strategy; investigate sport traineeships; advocate potential partnerships.

Law and Justice: Focus on law and justice activities especially in relation to prevention and diversion programs, access to legal services and the operation of the Aboriginal Legal Service.
Strategies: Develop regional prevention/diversion strategy; advocate prevention and diversion programs that target the underlying priority areas; advocate establishment of cautioning; advocate establishment of post-release and family support; increased operational funding for Kamilaroi ALS.

Transport: Improve isolated communities' access to appropriate transport, including medical transport, and travel for education, sports and employment.
Strategies: Facilitate implementation of community health transport initiative by Area Health Service; advocate community's transport needs with relevant agencies.

Housing and infrastructure: Focus on access, supply, appropriateness, housing-related environmental health; and governance and management of housing organisations.
Strategies: Influence the allocation of NAHS funding for region based on overcrowding/lack of infrastructure; lobby DoH for greater access to mainstream housing, support for ATSI housing; advocate increased/equitable allocations of community housing; work with Dept Fair Trading to eliminate discriminatory behaviour of Real Estate/Property Managers.

Many Rivers Regional Council: Many Rivers Strategic Regional Plan 2005 - 2010

Economic Development: CDEP to provide effective training and employment placement service; growing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enterprises; increase proportion of ATSI people with qualifications and more ATSI people working in the private sector.
Strategies: Identify and pursue benchmark-setting for employment and training objectives; continued to support vocational educational and training via the funding of CDEP; for business development and support target service delivery, coordination and capacity building; coordinate agencies involved in economic development; influence Chamber of Commerce; negotiate with regional chain stores for job placement and training.

Culture and Heritage: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language, culture, heritage and art maintained and preserved.
Strategies: Develop partnerships with relevant agencies; lobby other State agencies in relation to heritage protection and the environment.

Health: Partnerships should focus on appropriate and adequate health service delivery, with a specific emphasis on primary health care.
Strategies: Give priority to aged/disability care and men, women, child and youth health issues; enhance awareness of nutrition, hygiene and substance abuse; awareness of environmental health issues such as water, waste disposal and power; establish regional health "benchmark" data bank; participate in Mid North Coast Area Health Service and other stakeholder in relation to medical transport.

Family Violence: Significantly reduce and cease incidence of Family Violence throughout the region by empowering and strengthening families and communities.
Strategies: Develop regional Family Violence strategy; support culturally expressive and creative art initiatives targeting Family Violence; establish capacity development and regeneration programs; monitor and review local and regional programs; Many Rivers Family Violence Unit to meet regularly with government stakeholders to gain support for local initiatives.

Housing and Infrastructure: Partnerships should focus on housing and infrastructure activities that enable access, supply, appropriateness, hosing related environmental health and governance and management of the housing organisations.
Strategies: Work with AHO/stakeholders to adjust available resources based on population demands/lack of alternative housing options; lobby DoH for greater access to mainstream housing and to support ATSI housing construction, repair and maintenance companies; work with Dept Fair Trading to eliminate discriminatory behaviour of real estate agents and property managers.

Education: Enhanced literacy and numeracy, and retention and completion of ATSI children in schools.
Strategies: Enhance numeracy and literacy, retention and completion through greater family and ATSI presence in schools; increase numbers of ATSI teachers; establish homework centre; encouraging mature age study.

Law and Justice: Partnerships must focus activities and programs on prevention and diversion, the operations of the legal services in the region and access to services.
Strategies: Map available services; develop regional prevention and diversion strategy; support closer collaboration between ALS and Legal Aid; advocate policy change relaxing the 'trigger' by JJ support as per Taree pilot.

Sport: Increased participation in sports and skills development targeting young people and families.
Strategies: Liaise and advocate other potential partners, enabling greater access to various academies of sport within the region; investigate sports traineeships.

Capacity Building: Partnerships should focus on capacity building activities especially the community's capacity to engage agencies effectively about its needs and service delivery; and, improving capacity and governance in community organisations.
Strategies: Canvass CHICC/other agencies for delivery of training that enhances operation capacity of organisations; work in partnership towards developing SRAs and RPAs requiring agencies to develop partnerships with local representatives groups for design/delivery of services.

Transport: Partnerships should focus on community access to appropriate transport, particularly for the more isolated communities and for improved medical transport.
Strategies: making sure that Departments are aware of the community's transport needs; ensure that where communities have their own transport, restrictions on access are sensible, and access is equitable.

* Regional Plan aligned to COAG Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage (OID) Indicators.

Murdi Paaki Regional Council of ATSIC Regional Plan 2003-2005

Governance and Rights

Regional Council Autonomy: Securing political and administrative autonomy for the ATSI people of the region.
Strategies: Lobby Commonwealth government for legislative and funding modifications to allow implementation of Regional Autonomy Model; Lobby for the establishment of the Regional Assembly; participate in organisations (such as the Barwon-Darling Alliance) that will advance the ATSI people of the region; support and promote Community Working Parties (CWPs) as the peak community governance structure..
Regional Planning and Partnerships: To plan strategically and effectively for the advancement of the ATSI people of the region.
Strategies: Evaluate progress in achieving/implementing regional agreements and/or Memoranda of Understanding with state/federal agencies; support the CWPs in implementing the COAG trials across all the communities of the region.

Economic

CDEPs: Recognise and develop capacity of CDEPs to improve social and economic outcomes for Indigenous people.
Strategies: Finalise establishment of regional CDEP to provide support to existing CDEPs; encourage and support participants to move through CDEP to full time employment; undertake skills audit; investigate other CDEP around country to get new ideas; maintain and support regional CDEP meetings.
Training: To expand training opportunities for ATSI people of the region.
Strategies: Establish locally based jobs related training and apprenticeships relevant to local employment opportunities; negotiate with employment agencies to provide ATSI people with interview and resume writing skills; establish a register of accredited Indigenous trainers in region; communities to identify/provide alternative training opportunities for young people.
Business Development: Support and advance current business enterprises, and to encourage the development of future business enterprises.
Strategies: Establish Business Development and Support Unit; establish Regional Indigenous Business Enterprise Development Agreement with State/Federal/private sector.
Employment: Expand employment opportunities for ATSI people in the region.
Strategies: Establish Regional Indigenous Employee Hire Service to provide links to existing employment service providers; encourage employers to improve ability for on-the-job rather than solely on interview skills; actively lobby government to promote the inclusion of at least one ATSI employee in all employment agencies within the region.

Youth Issues: Nurture and educate, develop, and respect role of youth in communities.
Strategies: Establish regional youth group and in the development of a Regional Youth Plan; train youth for community leadership roles/responsibilities; establish local job training and apprenticeships.
Family Support: Recognise central importance of family to ATSI community, support family values, and promote maintenance of family as core unit.
Strategies: Develop Regional Family Support Memoranda of Understanding with relevant state/commonwealth agencies; develop register of organisations and agencies and their programs; support/promote counselling/mediation services; encourage CDEP placements in community based counselling services.
Law and Justice: Improve the justice system for ATSI people in the region.
Strategies: Establish Regional Law and Justice Agreement; monitor and evaluate delivery of legal services in region; raise awareness of mental illness issues; lobby for increased ATSI police and correctional services officers; evaluate post-release programs.
Women's Issues: Improve status/rights of ATSI women in region and recognise role of women in community.
Strategies: Review current Women's Strategic Plan; support women taking leadership roles; support eh development of women's groups; organise cultural camps; support and develop provision of refuges and safe houses; address issues that prevent access to childcare, preschool and after school care for children to allow women to participate in the workforce..
Men's Issues: Improve status/rights of ATSI men in the region.
Strategies: Implement men's group; promote the leadership role of men in families, community and in governance; recognise role of male Elders; organise culture camps; develop programs to support men convicted of domestic violence; develop crisis accommodation for men to allow time away and provide counselling services on health, finance, drug and alcohol issues
Health: Improve health standards of ATSI people in the region.
Strategies: Develop regional ATSI health plan; lobby mainstream services to undertake cultural awareness training; improve mainstream health and well being services to make them more accessible for ATSI people; assist older people in obtaining access to a range of health care services; continue to support ATSI community controlled and focussed primary health, allied health and rehabilitation services.
Sport and Recreation: To support access to and participation in sporting and recreational activities for all groups within ATSI communities in the region.
Strategies: Lobby government agencies to secure funding for regular sporting events; implement regional sporting and recreational strategy; develop employment and training opportunities in sport and recreation for ATSI people.
Housing and Infrastructure: Improve living standards, accessing appropriate housing and infrastructure services for ATSI people in region.
Strategies: Establish Regional Housing Committee within Regional Assembly; support/promote home ownership; lobby relevant government agencies and services providers to provide adequate funding for housing and infrastructure needs; lobby for the provision of housing for special needs groups; use ATSI housing programs to maximise employment and training opportunities.
Education: Recognise the importance of education to employment and lifestyle opportunities and to continue to encourage participation in the educations systems for ATSI people of the region.
Strategies: Investigate appropriate models for improving ATSI access to education i.e. Koori Open Door project; continue to work with school authorities; negotiate with education authorities to develop culturally appropriate curriculum; encourage paid employment of Aboriginal people in schools.

Cultural

Language and Education: Reinforce value of Indigenous language, heritage and culture.
Strategies: Develop Regional Language Agreements and Policy to promote Aboriginal language; establish register of physical and human resources in each community in relation to the provision of language skills; lobby government for funding to maintain and develop Aboriginal language programs; encourage CDEP placements to provide training and job creation in the development of community based language services.
Preservation of Heritage and Culture: Promote greater appreciation and protection of Aboriginal heritage and culture in region.
Strategies: Develop Regional Heritage and Sites Protection Agreement with relevant government agencies; develop regional Aboriginal heritage and Culture Policy; recognise statutory role of Aboriginal Lands Council; involve local Aboriginal people to managing sites of heritage under local Land Use Agreements; promote genuine Aboriginal arts, crafts and cultural activities.
Environment: Maximise participation of Aboriginal people in managing and rejuvenating the environment and to promote wide recognition that land and natural resource issues are central to the social welfare of Aboriginal people.
Strategies: Develop Regional Environmental Agreement with relevant government agencies; develop Regional Environmental Policy; establish and maintain register of environmental management agencies working in region; establish Aboriginal Resource Committee; establish a register of Aboriginal owned land and its use in the region.
Media: To participate actively with the media to promote positive and sensitive coverage of Aboriginal people.
Strategies: Develop regional media policy; establish media relations unit; actively promote positive Aboriginal news; encourage employment opportunities for Indigenous people; establish regional newsletter.

Queanbeyan Regional Council - Regional Plan 2004-2007
Executive Summary

Governance: Improve governance capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations within the region.
Strategies: Develop capacity for community development including professional development supporting self-determination and self-management through access to resources; annual data collections to monitor 'governance'.

Substance Use: Improve support services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with substance use issues.
Strategies: Develop agreements with governments, identifying specific programs; representation on substance use committees and meetings ensuring Indigenous interests are considered; updated data collection process.

Health: Improve levels of health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in region.
Strategies: Promote, advocate and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services through bilateral and agency agreements; establish data collection process for health issues updated annually.

Employment: Improving level of employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the region.
Strategies: Advocate and promote self-employment and enterprise development; monitor number of business loans; establish data collection process for employment issues to be updated annually.

Housing: Improve level of appropriate housing levels for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in region.
Strategies: Ensure adequate funding to build, maintain and replenish appropriate housing stock; promote home ownership scheme; monitor loan application numbers; stakeholder meetings with family/community services and relevant housing authorities; establish and annually update data collection process.

Law and Justice: Reduce number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people negatively involved in the legal system.
Strategies: Support culturally appropriate, independently managed ATSI legal services; review RCIADIC recommendations; undertake review of current alternative sentencing mechanisms and identify gaps in services; adopt alternative sentencing mechanisms.

Education, Training and Capacity Building: Improve levels of education, training and meet the capacity building needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in region.
Strategies: Interact with and seek representation on relevant educational committees; undertake a needs analysis, cross reference with ATSIC Education Policy.

Sydney Regional Council - Regional Plan 2004-2007

Housing: For Aboriginal people to be accommodated in an environment comparable to wider community and culturally suitable.
Strategies; Facilitate community input and feedback on housing/infrastructure; identify unmet housing needs; ongoing relationship with housing authorities; increased home ownership.

Health: The health and well-being of Aboriginal people in the region improves to a level comparable to the wider community.
Strategies: Establish relationships with key stakeholders; conduct cultural awareness programs with mainstream health providers; monitor health outcomes; monitor and report on number and classification level of Aboriginal people employed in the health sector.

Education: Access to equitable, culturally appropriate, responsive, relevant and effective educational services which enable full participation in Australian society.
Strategies: Increase number of Aboriginal teachers; develop pathways in education, training and employment; identify key strategies and negotiate with DEST and other stakeholders.

Law and Justice: Access to acceptable representation, advocacy rights and support and development services for Aboriginal peoples.
Strategies: Increase numbers of culturally appropriate diversionary programs, including circles sentencing, mediation, drug courts; delivery of prevention programs; culturally appropriate legal services are delivered in the Sydney region; delivery of culturally appropriate support services to Aboriginal prisoners and their families.

Family and Community Support: In recognition of the importance of families of Indigenous people, it is vital that respect be shown to all aspects of these traditional value systems to ensure that they are protected and enhanced to espouse our community aspirations.
Strategies: Improve employment opportunities, increase CDEP places, develop domestic violence kit, community workshops for victims and perpetrators of violence, mentoring and peer support programs, role of Elders acknowledged, Roll of Honour established, more services to provide support for Stolen Generations; Aboriginal children's services delivered by Aboriginal community controlled organisations; increased resources for early intervention programs; needs analysis mapping of family needs in the area.

Sport and Recreation: Bring communities together through competition, friendship and culture sharing with sports and recreation.
Strategies: Seek contributions from partnership agencies and sporting authorities; develop memoranda of understanding agreements with mainstream service providers; provision of small grants/scholarships to Aboriginal families/young people to have opportunity to participate in sports.

Economic Independence: Achieve economic independence for all Aboriginal people.
Strategies: Establish Economic Forum in partnership with NSW and Federal governments; provide economic independence through land acquisition; increase employment opportunities and Aboriginal owned and operated businesses; address barriers to acquiring driver's licence; concessional transport for CDEP participants; Indigenous Business Incubator established; investigate Aboriginal specific small business training package through TAFE; maintain training and employment networks.

Cultural Integrity and Heritage Protection: Ensure care, protection and maintenance of cultural integrity, past, present and future.
Strategies: Aboriginal radio broadcasting station that is high quality providing comprehensive coverage over whole of Sydney region; community controlled art gallery; Aboriginal heritage recognised and respected throughout all learning centres; all student to undertake Aboriginal studies; great Aboriginal decision making in natural resource and environmental matters; establish Sydney region language centre; scholarships for Aboriginal linguists.

Women's business: Ensure, promote restoration, protection and preservation of Aboriginal ways of life for all Aboriginal women across the region.
Strategies: Encourage women's participation in appointed and elected offices; conduct women's forums; increase women's rights and responsibilities in mainstream policies to promote safety and well being.

Land: Land is the essence of cultural identity and should be recognised in all its inherent forms including native title and land, water and natural resources.
Strategies: Facilitate forums on awareness of Native Title; increase the number of Aboriginal people registering as traditional owners; implement Regional Land Fund policy; advocate for increased Aboriginal participation in environmental and natural resource management; acquire land for the establishment of viable commercial enterprise and ventures.

Compensation: Recognition as owners.
Strategies: Land acquired under Native Title Act, NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act, and through the Indigenous Land Corporation.

Recognition and empowerment: To have Australia as a whole give recognition and empowerment to Aboriginal people to enable us to manage, control and sustain identity.
Strategies: Fund Aboriginal community controlled services; practice good governance; community forums on human rights, compulsory Aboriginal studies in schools; local knowledge holders are acknowledged and respected.

* Regional Plan aligned to COAG Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage (OID) Indicators.

Queensland

Cairns and District Regional Council: Regional Strategic Plan 2005> onwards

Cultural Integrity: Cultural integrity is maintained and developed.
Strategies: Sites of cultural and spiritual significance be protected; items of cultural significance tat have been stolen are found and placed at the direction of the rightful owners; Multi-functional Cultural and Arts Centre established; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts authenticity labelling system in all retail outlets; regional support service/arts marketing plan.

Land, Native Title and Natural Resources: Land and Native Title issues are resolved throughout the region and our people are managing their own natural resources.
Strategies: Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs) follow best practice processes and guidelines; sites of environmental significance protected from inappropriate development; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people managing their natural resources.

Health and Quality of life: We have achieved healthy, happy communities. This is reflected in the holistic health status of our people.
Strategies: Best practice health practices followed; targeted indicators for measuring health and well being outcomes are identified and reported quarterly; adequately resourced health services.

Family Unity and Stronger Communities: Stronger communities built through stronger families and stronger individual.
Strategies: Family support services and programs regionally coordinated; access to counselling; services operate in holistic, integrated manner..

Law and Justice: Our people treated with justice, fairness, equality and respect before the law.
Strategies: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service meeting the legal needs of people throughout the region; youth/school children have increased awareness and understanding of the legal system, their rights and responsibilities; justice system recognises, respects and uses customary law as substitute; effective Community Justice Groups/alternative Indigenous influenced justice systems operating throughout the region.

Healthy Accommodation: To have sufficient, healthy and safe housing for all Indigenous people in the region.
Strategies: Regional annual housing needs survey is completed; maximised home ownership; complete regional annual housing needs survey; sufficient housing for visiting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; tenure to be used as collateral.

Financial and Sustainable Economic development: Improved financial and economic well-being that enhances and supports our lifestyles and development..
Strategies: Maximise business ownership and joint ventures; develop formal relationships with private sector; access to direct and personal support in developing business ventures..

Employment: Increased opportunity for our people as individuals to have meaningful work and improved financial and economic well being..
Strategies: Maximised full time employment in public/private sector; endorse Regional CDEP programs/Indigenous Employment Centres as key development agents; maximise Indigenous employment conditions into community contracts and service agreements.

Holistic Education: Our children have attained equity in academic achievement with the wider community, enriched by strong cultural values and beliefs.
Strategies: Improve educational outcomes and training outcomes for youth and adults; Regional Indigenous Holistic Education Centre focused on providing holistic cultural as well as 'western' education; advocating Indigenous Education Forum (IEF) as effective vehicle for reforming/improving education; encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community school committee as reference point for curriculum advice.

Reconciliation: A reconciled and harmonious community.
Strategies: Reconciliation to be achieved through cooperation and cohesion of positive interaction with the wider community and all levels of government departments and the private sector under a formally acknowledged reconciliation agreements process, as fundamental to improving life and well-being of Indigenous people.

* Regional Plan aligned to COAG Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage (OID) Indicators.

Central Queensland Regional Council Annual Report 2004/2005

Housing: Increased access to safe, healthy, affordable and culturally-appropriated housing options by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the region.
Strategies: Local Indigenous housing organisations sign Head Lease Agreements; increase new/upgrade housing stock; education and training provided to boards and tenants;

Health: Health services are sensitive to meeting the diverse needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in the Central Queensland region.
Strategies: Health services to be delivered in a culturally sensitive manner; establishment of a health brokerage model; establishment of a steering committee; liaise with respective health agencies to develop implementation plan to employ/retain Indigenous employees.

Family Issues: Strengthened family structures that nurture the qualities of respect, responsibility and relationships and pride for each other.
Strategies: Develop partnerships with government and non-government agencies; development of a youth regional council; seek funds to hold family fun days.

Law and Justice (Legal Services): Equitable access to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled and other Legal Services that protect and enhance our individual cultural, legal and human rights.
Strategies: Involvement in the Indigenous Community Police Consultative Group to address community policing issues; establishment of a prison Aid program providing support for inmates in the Rockhampton and Maryborough Correctional Centres;

Law and Justice (Family Violence): A break in the cycle of family violence leading to the decreased incidence of family violence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Strategies: CDEP participants trained to assist Family Support Workers; expand the Indigenous Family Violence legal Prevention Program to provide essential legal and support assistance to Indigenous people, particularly women and children.

Community Development and Relationship Building: Community capacity and partnerships developed to meet the needs and aspirations of communities in the region.
Strategies: Establishment of community forums for the development of Community Engagement Maps and a future Regional Indigenous Representation structure; enhanced community capacity through provision of information and advocacy activities.

Sport and Recreation: Increased participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in sport and recreation activities across the region and additional support networks to encourage the further development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sporting careers.
Strategies: Support CDEP to deliver sporting grants; additional Sport and Recreation Officers to work in conjunction with CDEPs

Art and Culture: Increased maintenance or revival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures through stories, spiritual involvement, art, dance and the observance of NAIDOC.
Strategies: Continued promotion of cultural activities and events.

Heritage and Language: The revitalisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritages and languages in the region through education awareness, recordings, books and stories.
Strategies: Increase the number of ATSI people employed/utilised to educate the wider society about cultural heritage issues; promote, maintain, reclaim, revive and record ATSI languages in region.

Education: Education environments that proactively support and nurture Aboriginal cultures and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Strategies: ATSI history and cultural awareness to be incorporated in local education curriculum; liaise with Education Queensland's learning and Engagement Centre in relation to implementation of the partners for Success priority Action Areas - attendance, retention, attainment (particularly literacy and numeracy) and workforce capacity; establish networks to address the social and economic issues surrounding ATSI youth not completing school.

Broadcasting and Media: Increased and/or expansion of broadcasting services providing the community with broadcasting and information sharing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues.
Strategies: Increase range of broadcasting services in region; production of culturally relevant programs and services.

Native Title: Recognition of traditional ownership of land and on-shore/off-shore waters of cultural significance and rights of access to hunting/fishing in traditional country and waters in the region.
Strategies: Develop and implement strategies to recognise ATSI rights in relation to land and off-shore waters.

Community Development and Employment Program: Increased employment and training opportunities, business enterprise development and social well-being across the region.
Strategies: Establish additional 500 CDEP places to better meet the needs of the region; advocate for the establishment of Far West CDEP; support linkages between CDEP and family Violence initiative.

Employment and Training: Development and implementation of culturally-appropriate employment and training initiatives and enhanced capacity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in region.
Strategies: Liaise with DEWR and TAFE re: employment and training opportunities.

Business/Economic Development: Ann increased number of viable enterprise developments that create employment opportunities and economic independence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with the region.
Strategies: Establish joint ventures with State and Federal agencies and existing businesses in region; promotion of enterprise opportunities.

Goolburri Regional Council ATSIC Roma: Regional Plan 2004-07

Family Wellbeing: Empower and inspire young people to reach their full potential; reduce destructive behaviour and provide life knowledge and skills that foster stable happy families.
Strategies: Implement Regional Council Family Violence Strategy; Develop/enhance community infrastructure; establish network of mentors; ensure adequate safe houses, review adequacy of emergency accommodation; establish awards system for students performing well; establish 'Expo' during NADOC Week to highlight sports and activities and to provide health, life skills and careers information; identify review and monitor mechanisms for education in family budgeting, parenting, pre and post natal care, sexual health etc; consult with Dept of Families to develop better trust and engagement with communities and to increase the numbers of ATSI child care workers.

Community and Capacity: Improve and spread capacity to manage professionally, efficiently and effectively; increase representation in mainstream community organisations; improve community awareness and use of programs and information; achieve more effective programs and services; build bridges to facilitate reconciliation; and increase the capacity of parents and Elders to nurture community.
Strategies: Develop focus groups to address priority areas identifies in this plan; establish regional youth council; establish professional resources available to communities; establish regional ATSI radio network; attract resources to develop after school and weekend activities for young people; develop action plan to identify/target mainstream organisations and groups across the region on which to gain ATSI representation/membership; develop hostel accommodation in Toowoomba and Roma; ensure professional cross-cultural training to be provided to all non-Indigenous staff of service provider; initiate discussions with ABS on collection of census data.

Housing and infrastructure: Achieve ready access to culturally appropriate, climatically suitable rental housing; increase levels of home ownership; maximise community benefits flowing from building and maintenance; and achieve infrastructure levels that meet community, operational, health, social, sporting and cultural needs.
Strategies: Implement CHIP; review Goolburri Regional Housing Company business plan; undertake feasibility study to establish building and maintenance contracting enterprise; review sporting infrastructure needs; review transport needs; undertake feasibility study into the development of a retirement village.

Education: Build a network of incentives, support and rewards that facilitates good education for children and young people; influence the education system to fully meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students; and achieve greater levels of numeracy, literacy and life skills.
Strategies: Develop initiatives that target parents and community in the importance of breakfast before school; provide adequate numbers of ATSI community education counsellors and teachers aids at all schools with significant numbers of ATSI students; undertake feasibility study on the establishment of an ATSI Unit at the regional TAFE; increase academic scholarships available to ATSI students.

Economic participation: Establish and maintain access to rewarding, satisfying jobs; improve the effectiveness of training and skills development in producing job and career outcomes; and increase viable industry and business development opportunities.
Strategies: Initiate discussions with LGAs, DATSIP and DSD on employment opportunities for ATSI people in the region; eliminate barriers to employment with Job Network agencies; consider the establishment of an indigenous Jobs network employment agency; create business and marketing network for regional artists; facilitate establishment and ongoing operation of viable small businesses.

Health: Increase life expectancy and reduce the incidence and impact of disease.
Strategies: Provide two additional dental vans to service region; build attractive incentives and scholarships to attract local students into dentistry; analyse health transport needs of the region; examine the lessons of the health brokerage model developed by the Cooloola Aboriginal Medical Service; Queensland Health to meet the needs of renal patients and maternal facilities in the region.

Law and Justice: Reduce criminal offences and custodial sentences; increase and improve appropriate rehabilitation, policing and prevention measures; support victims of criminal acts; and improve the Justice System's level of understanding and service in meeting the special needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Strategies: Additional Police Liaison Officers, with gender balance; attract additional ATSI people to Police Service; establish rehabilitation programs and support networks; initiate discussions with Justice System stakeholders on adopting a policy of community banishment for perpetrators of family violence; ensure continuation of Aboriginal legal Service; conduct regional conference on family violence; conduct workshop with key government agencies in the desirability of establishing Murri Curt and Community conferencing.

Land, Sea, Culture and Heritage: Preserve and record culture and heritage; generate wider awareness, understanding and pride in culture and heritage; and acquire, manage and care for our land.
Strategies: Develop relationship with National Archives; sponsor project to bring together and record local stories; advocate the inclusion of ATSI history and culture subject in schools; encourage and support communities in their NAIDOC celebrations; advocate for appropriate exemptions from land claims for all DOGIT lands and assets of ATSI organisation.

* Regional Plan aligned to COAG Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage (OID) Indicators.

Gulf and West Queensland Region: Regional Plan 2004-2006

Education, Employment and Economic Development:

School Performance: Increased participation/achievement in school system by Indigenous children and youth.
Strategies: Promote two-way learning; advocate for increased access to secondary schooling for Indigenous students including development of innovative ways of delivery; increase amount of Indigenous teachers; funding assistance, in partnership with other agencies, to establish appropriate transport system; additional funding/programs for parents of students in transition to boarding schools.
Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Higher Education: Indigenous people to have opportunity to participate in post-school education and training which is relevant and appropriate to regional employment outcomes.
Strategies: Improve access to higher education and VET; work with mainstream employers for the provision of apprenticeships; encourage CDEP to establish linkages with training providers to develop job readiness.
Employment: Increased number of Indigenous people in skilled and meaningful work.
Strategies: Advocate the development of an Aboriginal controlled building and program management organisation as a means to increase Aboriginal employment in the building industry; advocate for additional IEC in the region; advocate extension of Indigenous Employment Policy to other communities.
Opportunities in Mineral Province for Indigenous people: Sustainable economic development, training, employment opportunity in mineral provinces; increased equity outcomes; increased cultural awareness between mining companies/Indigenous people.
Strategies: Increase Indigenous people's awareness of opportunities arising from mining; research mining royalties and returns to infrastructure/social programs; convene mining company forum with Indigenous groups to develop opportunity, policy and programs.
Enterprise Development: Increased number of sustainable, Indigenous-owned businesses and beneficial joint ventures with non-Indigenous businesses.
Strategies: Encourage enterprise development workshops/courses; advocate for Indigenous access to commercial fishing licenses and resources; advocate for handover of government owned community stores to Indigenous people.
Community Development Employment Project (CDEP): Unemployed Indigenous people engage in skilled, meaningful work, enhancing ability to gain unsubsidised employment of measurable benefit to the community.
Strategies: Foster CDEP activities which will provide job satisfaction, a challenging environment, accredited training, award wages, contracts for service and life skill development; regular assessment of CDEP performance.

Health and Well-being:

Health: Healthier Indigenous community, supported by regional health services and agencies working together in effective coordinated way.
Strategies: Establish ongoing Regional Health Forum between all health service providers/agencies to better coordinate service delivery, identify needs, fill gaps, assess performance; encourage progressive upgrading of Indigenous Health Workers and Environmental Health Workers skills to increase number of permanent indigenous health positions.
Sport and Recreation: Increased participation in sport/recreation as vehicle for asserting cultural identity and pride, improve health, foster personal development, particularly amongst children and young people.
Strategies: Develop MOU with Dept Sport and Recreation to link ATSIS funding with ICDP funding for better coordination in service provision; collect and spread funding source information to all Indigenous people in compiling sport/recreation directory.

Families:

Strong Families: Building strong, cohesive family units, resolving conflict through non-violent means; appropriate support services that can improve the life and well-being of Indigenous men; and service providers for youth to express their perspectives on self-affecting issues.
Strategies: Monitor Family Violence Action Plan, ensure implementation with 12 month reviews; encourage service providers to follow up outcomes of Regional Women's Forum, 2002; organise men's forums in north, central and south zones; establish on-going Youth Forum/Council.

Development and Management of Infrastructure:

Housing: Improved living conditions with adequate, appropriate housing needs and services; increased Indigenous training and involvement in building industry; increased control, participation, program management by Indigenous people.
Strategies: Appoint consultant to develop different models for Regional Housing Authority with collated information; increase Indigenous participation in construction by including contractual requirement to employ/train Indigenous people, etc.
Homelands: Indigenous people are supported in quest to return to country and secure homelands.
Strategies: Advocate for secure land tenure on behalf of Indigenous people; monitor progress of 'Bushlight' needs assessment for alternative energy provision to small communities.
Transport and Communications: Integrated and reliable transport and communications network which supports and connects all Indigenous people in region.
Strategies: Advocate transport feasibility study/research on existing service provision/service gaps; seek funding for improved telecommunications infrastructure in remote communities, under community control.

Leadership, Capacity Building and Justice:

Community Capacity Building: Indigenous people control and self-manage their own organisations and communities.
Strategies: Seek joint funding arrangement to establish community support unit to provide corporate governance training, management and leadership skills development; develop information packages for individuals and communities detailing rights/responsibilities, economic opportunities available, provided programs/services, etc.
Community Advocacy: Indigenous people are better able to access resources for community development, monitoring service delivery and removing discriminatory behaviour.
Strategies: Establish/advocate strong relationship with local governments to promote better Indigenous deals; seek employment of research officer to provide data needed to advocate effectively.
Increasing Political Influence: Indigenous people have an increased positive profile and political influence in effectively using the media and voter awareness to promote contribution of Indigenous people to development.
Strategies: Negotiate MOU with DATSIP at regional level to ensure political legitimacy of governing Indigenous body is recognised; advocate establishment of Indigenous Advisory Committees in insufficient Indigenous represented areas.
Justice: Level of contact Indigenous people have with criminal justice system is reduced, and culturally appropriate justice systems are developed.
Strategies: Review Aboriginal Police Liaison Officer system regarding terms of reference, recruitment processes, role of community in management; work with justice system to improve rehabilitative, diversionary, preventative programs; advocate better support services.

Culture and Heritage:

Cultural Heritage and Identity: Indigenous people better able to record, preserve, protect, promote, express and manage cultural heritage/identity.
Strategies: Develop with Dept of Education/Arts to ensure all schools include education about Indigenous culture, language and heritage with elders; establish MOUs with stakeholders to monitor/protect culture and heritage.
Ownership, Control of Land and Sea: Indigenous people have management and access to land and sea.
Strategies: Monitor progress in achieving recognition of native title through quarterly reports to properly allocate resources to NT representative bodies; negotiate with National Parks and Environmental Protection Agency to contract Indigenous rangers to monitor unauthorised activities in national parks and nature reserves.

Peninsula Regional Council: Regional Plan 2005-2010

Governance: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Cape York Peninsula, freely exercise legal, economic, social, cultural and political rights to achieve independence and self-reliance, through a freely elected and representative body.
Strategies: Investigate possible models for regional autonomy; ensure regional organisations are controlled by, and accountable to, Cape York people; regular meetings of local councils, land trusts and corporations to exchange information and develop strategic responses to regional issues; support opportunities for effective negotiation between Indigenous communities and mainstream agencies, industries and organisations.

Culture: The recovery, protection, strengthening and promotion of culture is a foundation for community wellbeing.
Strategies: Develop protocols for consultations; support recovery, protection and promotion of traditional languages; record, protect and teach cultural heritage and history; produce cultural education materials; secure repatriation of cultural resources that have been removed; statutory recognition and community acceptance of Aboriginal law, and its application in conjunction to mainstream legal processes.

Our Land and Sea: Land and sea are indivisible form culture, and it is vital that our people recover, retain and strengthen our traditional connections. This has spiritual, social and economic importance.
Strategies: Negotiate for the purchase of pastoral leases in the western and central areas of Cape York; support development of land management skills and capacity; security and control of fisheries and marine resources by traditional owners; incorporation of traditional land and sea management practices into mainstream land management regimes.

Social Well-Being: The people on Cape York Peninsula have a right to a safe, healthy fulfilling life. Members should contribute positively to family and community life. Social wellbeing is achieved when there are positive indicators in metal, physical and social health and family wellbeing.
Strategies: Continued support and commitment to Peninsula Regional Council Family Violence statement; training of Indigenous health workers; community control over health services; establishment of quality birthing centres; acceptance, knowledge and use of traditional healing practices in conjunction with mainstream health services; review transport provisions for health service clients; establish Cape York Sporting Institute; production of parenting material; establishment of substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation services.

Education and Training: The people on Cape York Peninsula have a right to access a standard of educational and personal development services, equitable to that experienced by those living outside of Cape York Peninsula.
Strategies: Community involvement in school curricula; community based language and cultural programs in schools, advised by Elders; develop leadership and management skills among Indigenous communities.

Environmental Health, Housing and Infrastructure: Housing and infrastructure development must consider environmental health implications, as this will greatly contribute to the general health and wellbeing of the community.
Strategies: On site training for CY people in the housing and construction industry; all building contractors to employ Indigenous people for the purpose of skills development; extend telecommunications and broadcasting capacity; maintain regional network of airstrips; support the sealing of roads; pursue home ownership.

Economic Development: Cape York Peninsula has the potential for sustainable economic development.
Strategies: Ensure regional organisations provide training opportunities for Cape York people; enable development of Indigenous tourism enterprises; Indigenous access to commercial fishing licences; increase participation in aquaculture training and production; promote participation in agri-forestry, ecotourism etc; review CDEP policy.

Homelands: Access to homelands is significant to people of Cape York Peninsula. Access and return to homelands is an essential way of recovering culture, providing a means for self reliance and promoting wellbeing.
Strategies: Support the development of healthy homelands; promote homelands projects and programs which will assist economic sustainability; extend the scope of the CDEP so as to provide development and services on homelands.

* Regional Plan aligned to COAG Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage (OID) Indicators.

South East Queensland Indigenous Regional Council: Regional Policies - Regional Plan 2004-2007

Community capacity building: To empower all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to have control of their own destiny.

Prevention, Diversion and Rehabilitation: For young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to freely exercise and enjoy their human, citizenship and inherent rights and to realise their full potential and Aboriginality as the First Peoples of this Nation.

Family Violence: To have sharing and caring communities with healthy and functional families

Advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women: For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to be strong united, recognised and respected for their diversity and strengths within their individual roles in society and their contributions and achievements within the family and wider community.

Sport and Recreation: For all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to have equal access to and full participation in sports and recreational opportunities in the SEQ region.

Preservation and Promotion of Indigenous art and culture: For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and culture to be fully recognised and respected as the first and paramount art and culture within Australian society.

Economic Participation and Development: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people determining their own financial stability through meaningful employment and sound economic ventures resulting in successful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses.

Land, Sea and Heritage: All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders living in SEQ are able to express their heritage, culture and rights freely, including the return to the rightful owners of all cultural property and skeletal remains held overseas and within Australia and that all intellectual property rights be protected and managed by the Indigenous custodians.

Torres Strait Islanders living on the Mainland: For all Torres Strait Islander people to be recognised and respected for their diverse and distinct cultural needs and issues and to have equal access to all appropriate services.

Strategies: A whole of government approach must be implemented to ensure that the underlying issues, not just the symptoms, are recognised and fully addressed in order that meaningful partnership agreements are developed and entered into. That policy positions in this document be adopted by all stakeholders when developing their policies and programs. All legislation to be non-racist and to adhere to social justice principles.

* Regional Plan aligned to COAG Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage (OID) Indicators.

Townsville Regional Council Regional Plan

(adopted December 2001)

Bread winner in every household: To raise self confidence and break the cycle of welfare dependence, resulting in community empowerment and a sharing of resources.
Strategies: Conduct skills audit and establish a register of skilled people; facilitate formation of joint ventures; provide regional marketing support for Indigenous goods and services; support, evaluate and monitor the development and implementation of appropriate business education and training courses.

One Mob, Healthy Families: To strengthen family unity, values and health within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities of the region.
Strategies: Promote respect fro traditional family values and systems of authority through formal recognition; support and resource forums, camps and activities that address social wellbeing for youth, men and women; identify demographic needs at the regional and local level, establish targets and performance standards and revisit State based policies; monitor effectiveness of parenting programs; ensure that information about existing government assistance programs and services is made available to all communities, organisations and individuals.

Transport and Communications: To support an affordable and reliable transport and information network that connects our people with one another and with essential services.
Strategies: Negotiate with Queensland Transport for development of a Regional Transport Strategy; Advocate for an audit of information technology access by communities to identify cost effective ways of upgrading and interconnecting community transport and telecommunications infrastructure.

Rights and Recognition: To promote the inherent rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia
Strategies: Fund Aboriginal legal services to provide accessible and affordable protection of individual and community rights within the criminal justice system; advocate for further innovations in community justice programs including the expansion of diversionary programs; advocate and monitor peer support, pre and post release, prison art, train the trainer, vocational training and work experience, as well as other culturally appropriate rehabilitation programs within the correctional system; encourage CDEPs to participate in post-release programs.

Achieving Greater Regional Autonomy: To achieve better governance structures and processes for our people.
Strategies: Establish a community reporting system that can assist in implementing the regional plan; support the preparation of community plans that can articulate regional planning issues at the local level; facilitate development of community consultation protocols that all levels of government and non-government agencies should follow; develop and disseminate an options paper on regional autonomy that can assist communities in the region develop appropriate autonomy models; advocate the Torres Strait Regional Authority to establish links with Torres Strait Islander people of the region.

Safe Shelter: To ensure all our people have access to safe and secure shelter
Strategies: Strengthen role of Regional Housing Authority in efficient use of housing resources and improving management of stock; conduct a housing needs assessment; develop a policy and criteria that will support the Incentives for Home ownership program; advocate for funding for the provision of housing options for elderly and disabled.

Caring for spirit: To maintain and nurture Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, promoting recognition and respect for the diverse cultures and traditions in the region.
Strategies: Provide support for participation in cultural events; promote the teaching of Indigenous languages, song and dance; support the development and publication of histories and cultures of the peoples of the region; advocate curricula changes in Queensland schools and other educational institutions; advocate for legal advice be provided to communities confronted by issues of ownership relating to cultural remains.

Caring for Country: To recover and maintain the source of culture through strengthening links to land and sea.
Strategies: Develop policies and programs aimed at the recognition of land and sea rights; encourage education to the wider community about the recognition of land and sea rights; liaise with government to ensure that there is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation on all boards and advisory committees involved in land and sea management; develop land acquisition strategy; support Palm Island and other groups to prepare local Homelands Plan.

Northern Territory

Alice Springs Regional Council: Policy Statements

Equitable Access to Resources

Providing Adequate Housing: Ensure there is an adequate supply of housing for Aboriginal people in the region, with Aboriginal control and management of the whole of the system of housing provision and management.
Strategies: Achieve adequate funding; seek delegated funding under Aboriginal control; ensure housing needs are met; provide special housing for chronically ill and elderly people; achieve appropriate housing design; include essential fittings in housing design; ensure housing is maintained; strengthen housing management capacity; promote Aboriginal home ownership.

Achieving Good Health: To shift the provision of health resources into localities where people are living, placing much more emphasis on preventative health measures and achieving a good quality of life.
Strategies: Decentralise health services to where people are living; target funding to where people are living.

Putting Appropriate Infrastructure in Place: Ensure that people in the region receive resources to meet essential requirements for water, power, sewage, transport and communications.
Strategies: Plan for infrastructure provision in priority areas; ensure appropriate standards for infrastructure provision; evaluate the impact of billing arrangements; document inequitable service provision; increase community capacity for maintaining infrastructure; improve transport services.

Promoting Social and Cultural Wellbeing: Ensure program resources are directed to promoting social and cultural wellbeing, reinforcing culture as a source of strength.
Strategies: Promote provision of community based recreation facilities; improve management of major sporting events; promote provision of appropriate cultural facilities; provide services which will improve social support for young people; improve management of substance abuse; provide facilities and services for families visiting Alice Springs; improve access to legal aid services; improve support for people detained in custody; provide improved rehabilitation for Aboriginal prisoners.

Building a Strong Indigenous Economy

Promoting Aboriginal Management of the Indigenous Economy: Increase the benefit to Aboriginal people arising from economic activities in the region.
Strategies: Identify regional economic opportunities; provide greater Aboriginal input to design and funding of mainstream employment and training programs.

Controlling the Flow of Money: Keep money in local and regional circulation, and to replace imported goods and employees with locally produced goods and Aboriginal workers.
Strategies: Identify the way that the regional economy works; improve economic benefits for the regions Aboriginal community; make effective use of purchasing power.

Creating a Sustainable Investment Framework: Direct Aboriginal investment funds into projects which will deliver sustainable ongoing benefits.
Strategies: Increase sustainable land investment; encourage investment in resources which have sustainable value over time.

Encouraging Mainstream Employment: To increase the proportion of Aboriginal employees within the public and private sectors.
Strategies: Increase government recruitment of Aboriginal staff; assist Aboriginal people make the transition to employment.

Developing Aboriginal Businesses: Providing support for growth of viable and sustainable enterprises.
Strategies: Assist CDEPs to launch enterprises; provide support for Aboriginal tourism ventures; support Aboriginal arts and crafts; promote viable rural industries; increase Aboriginal participation in the construction industry; improve access by Aboriginal business to funding assistance; provide business incubation facilities.

Making Use of Indigenous Skills: Encourage appropriate employment of those people with existing skills, and ensure that Aboriginal people receiving training are able to put their new skills to good use.
Strategies: making use of skills; linking training and employment

Building the Capacity of our People

Community Access to Appropriate Training: Ensure that training provision is well geared to the need for skill development in local communities.
Strategies: Improve the delivery of primary and secondary school education; Assess local adult training needs; improve bus services for people attending school and training course.

Effective Staffing of Community Organisations: Increase the performance of community organisations through a process of taking action against poorly performing staff, recruiting high performing staff and increasing the recruitment and promotion of skilled Aboriginal people.
Strategies: Take action against poorly performing staff; recruit and retain high performing staff; replace non-Aboriginal staff with Aboriginal staff over time; encourage community organisations to seek peer support...

Promoting Effective Management: To encourage the adoption of culturally based best management practices in community based organisations.
Strategies: Promote management skills amongst staff and Board members; share management experience.

Local Government Structures: To ensure that local governments can provide for needs of clients, and that they can benefit from equitable access to resources.
Strategies: Promote more effective funding of community councils; ensure that communities are not forced into inappropriate local government arrangement

Representation within the Public Service: Increase Aboriginal employment at all levels within public services. Strategies: Support Aboriginal people obtaining and retaining public service jobs.

Community Based Data Collection: Place an improved and coordinated system for data collections in the control of local communities, and to ensure that the data collected addresses issues of importance to Aboriginal people.
Strategies: Design a framework that supports the development of a coordinated data collection framework; develop local data collection skills; devolve responsibilities - hand over control of local data collection to local communities.

Strategic Planning at the Local Level: To set clear priorities for planning activities that will deliver benefits for Aboriginal clients.
Strategies: Fund the preparation of specific community plans.

Moving Towards a Regional Agreement

Representation in Decision Making: To increase the level and effectiveness of Aboriginal participation in decision making or advisory bodies.
Strategies: Ensure that there are potential recruits to boards and committees; select capable people as members; assist the election of capable people to decision making bodies; increase Aboriginal representation on agencies of strategic significance to the region.

Multi-Regional Funding: To identify those agencies which provide services across regional boundaries and to collaborate with other regional councils to provide appropriate funding.
Strategies: Identify potential recipients of multi-regional funding.

Developing Common Zone Strategies: Develop a common approach to meeting community needs across regional boundaries within the zone.
Strategies: Develop a framework for collaboration; identify priorities for adopting a common zone approach; implement shared strategies.

Moving towards Regional Control: To take incremental steps towards greater regional autonomy through development of regional agreements.
Strategies: Develop regional services agreement; increase delegations to the region; establish the basis for the agreement.

Garrak-Jarru Regional Council Strategic Plan
Katherine Region 2003 & Beyond

Cultural Maintenance

Culture: To foster the practice and knowledge of our culture within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, in order to preserve our cultural heritage for future generations, and strengthen the social fabric of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Strategies: Encourage Elders to teach younger generation about culture in homes, schools and community; encourage younger generation to participate in customary lore practices; design and implement programs through Men's/Women's advisory committees to run courses in cultural heritage.

Homeland Movements: To support continuing development of Homelands in region.
Strategies: Design training courses to enable Homelands residents to be self sufficient in maintaining equipment, buildings and infrastructure; survey existing Homelands to identify facilities in sub-standard conditions.

Language Maintenance: Support the maintenance, retrieval and revival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages; promote the use and development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages; improve awareness and appreciation of languages among wider community and government agencies involved in language and literacy issues; and support development of an Interpreter Service for the region.
Strategies: Develop regional policy on maintenance of languages; provide support to existing language services; prepare language information and place onto electronic media to enable it to be kept posterity in National Archives; promoting language maintenance in schools and educational departments.

Art: To improve the development, promotion and preservation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.
Strategies: Establish Regional Arts Industry Development Officer (RAIDO) position; support the role of art centres; improve wholesale and retail opportunities; seek funding to establish Indigenous owned/governed regional wholesale organisations; encourage Elder teachings; improving intellectual property rights.

Broadcasting: Start local Indigenous programming radio station.
Strategies: Identify language broadcasts/Indigenous broadcasters; identify and approach broadcasting services to secure airtime for Indigenous broadcasts.

Self Management and Independence

Resource Centres: Raise level of services provided by Resource Centres to the main communities and homelands.
Strategies: Provide financial/management support to communities to provide adequate services; convene planing workshops of representatives of Resource Centres to plan improvements and review progress in achieving objectives specified.

Health: Ensure that our people have adequate access to health care services to children to be fully immunised; to promote and encourage the use of bush medicines as an alternative to western medicine; to educate and promote the awareness of health and hygiene; improve diversionary programs and reduce marijuana use and related domestic violence.
Strategies: promote closer relationship between health centres and community centres; identify major hygiene issues in each community, designing processes to address the issues; liaise with health departments to ensure than an appropriate education and training scheme is established to increase number of Indigenous health workers; diversionary programs to include certificate level training; establish marijuana programs.

Urban and Community Housing: Gain appropriately designed houses for our people; encourage the establishment of employment and training opportunities within the housing industry; promote home ownership.
Strategies: Encourage active Indigenous involvement in designing community housing; liaise with government to establish training and employment opportunities; prepare model housing management program for communities; map short-term housing needs; prepare long-term plan to cover anticipated housing needs and requirements.

Employment and Training Opportunities: Increase employment and training opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; assist communities in the development of pre-vocational training; ensure communities have access to information in relation to training that is comprehensive and accurate.
Strategies: Implement mentoring programs; establish training programs that will qualify Indigenous people in key positions within communities; implement school program to identify those interested in training and/or apprenticeships.

Education: Increase participation of students in schools; improve educational outcomes at all schooling levels; and ensure appropriate and adequate access to education.
Strategies: Increased supervised accommodation for students to be close to schools; include work experience/career programs in curriculum; implement excellence recognition program for youth with publicly presented Regional awards in wide range of fields, not just sports.

Economic Development: Support and encourage establishment of business ventures; support increased economic activity in region especially those associated with Land and Sea Rights and Native Title.
Strategies: prepare blueprint on the types of ventures where ATSI people have a sustainable competitive advantage; establish formal business plans; Implement program of employing independent consultants to assist in bringing programs to successful conclusion.

Community Policing: Reduce the incidence of anti-social behaviour; increase numbers of Police Aides and Community/Night Patrols with increased powers; establish Indigenous Police force within regional wards based on traditional law; discuss possibility of Aboriginal run detention centre.
Strategies: Design prevention program for implementation within education system as well as communities; consult with Territory and Commonwealth Correctional Services Officers to improve effectiveness of Indigenous Police Aides and Night Patrol workers.

Community Management: To have effective, efficient and responsible management within communities and organisations.
Strategies: Identify and support appropriate leadership training resources; implement leadership course for young people; prepare Community Plan assisting in self-determination with a model community plan; increase Indigenous employment in professional, specialised areas; design cross-cultural training programs.

Homeland Energy Systems Infrastructure: Increased involvement of local Indigenous people in research, installation and maintenance of renewable energy systems.
Strategies: to seek available funding opportunities to support energy services for homelands region.

Social Advancement

Women's and Youth's Issues: Increasing services available to women and youth as well as their involvement in the community.
Strategies: Encourage specific educational courses like young mothers programs covering issues like hygiene, nutrition, cooking, etc; establish Women's Advisory Committee and Youth Forum; explore whether programs such as Outward Bound or Duke of Edinburgh's award can be utilised as a means of interesting youth.

Men's Issues: Ensuring Indigenous men have equal opportunities and access to adequate services.
Strategies: Encourage men to become actively involved in lobbying government; expand services provided by men's hostel in Katherine to include counselling/rehabilitation for drugs, alcohol and gambling; encourage male Elders to teach laws and customs to young people; formulate policy to deal with hard-core elements in communities who do not respond to counselling.

Family Violence: Develop, implement and monitor Family Violence Actions Plans.
Strategies: Mobilise/promote action at local level; coordinate and broker assistance from other agencies; establish local role model project with emphasis on positive role models; increase community's awareness of services available to address family violence issues such as internet information and counselling; support Stolen Generation strategies aimed at dealing with family violence.

Miwatj Provincial Governing Council: Miwatj Strategic Plan 2003-2005

Regional Governance: To create a governing council which will strategically manage the east Arnhemland area.
Strategies: Complete consultations to decide on governance and model; develop agreements/partnerships with all government levels, service providers, land councils, commercial sector to improve services and develop opportunities; maintain high level advocacy government ensuring clear goals; utilise public media to articulate government aims.

Homelands and Infrastructure: Full implementation of Miwatj homelands policy and plan.
Strategies: Develop Memorandum of Understanding with homelands resource agencies; establish the 'Cluster Model' for homelands settlements; develop strategic partnership with NT government and Lands Council to improve services to homeland settlements; advocate to COAG to recognise the homelands movement and allocate adequate funding for homelands development.

Economic Development: Development of economic opportunities which are Yolnu owned, operated and sustainable.
Strategies: Establish Miwatj Yolnu Business Development Organisation/Company; develop marketing strategies (imports/exports); develop partnerships with relevant groups.

Health and Housing: Improvement of Yolnu health and well being to the standard of the wider Australian community.
Strategies: Advocate expansion of existing services, including environmental health, to include regular homeland clinics and visits; establish renal dialysis unit at Galiwin'ku and Groote Eylandt; build stronger relationships with key service agencies through regular meetings and workshops.

Women and Family: Ensure that the needs of women are taken fully into account in the development and administration of all community and homeland issues.
Strategies: Advocate full implementation of 31 recommendations from Miwatj Women's conference; maintain traditional women's business; support initiatives which promote healthy, happy and harmonious families; support maintenance of traditional customary family practices.

Law and Justice: Recognition and introduction of Customary Law in NT justice system.
Strategies: Continue development of Customary Law Policy; support the ALS; support NT Customary Law Review Committee; support reference group of Yolnu people involvement in sentencing.

Education, Training and Employment: Yolnu educated and trained to a standard which enables a meaningful occupation while respect is given to cultural matters.
Strategies: Continue to advocate for improvement to education outcomes at all levels; implementation of MOU between stakeholders; continue advocating for high levels of CDEP participation in learning/training initiatives; build regional partnerships with major employers in region.

Youth and Sport: Healthy, active and strong Yolnu encouraged to reach their full potential.
Strategies: Support and fund the establishment of Miwatj Yolnu controlled Sports program and Development Unit; support and fund cultural activities including music, dance and theatre; support major sporting, cultural carnivals; develop partnerships with key sports agencies to include regional agreements on activity programs.

North West Regional Governing Council Regional Plan 2004-2009

Strong People, Customary Law, Culture and Language: :To protect, maintain and strengthen our customary law, cultures and languages.
Strategies: Service providers integrate customary activities into the curriculum and community planning processes; encourage and support community activities which recognise the importance of law, culture and language; support intellectual property rights; Indigenous languages be included as core curriculum in schools and universities; advocate government support for the collection of cultural information and material from institutions.

Governance: :That Indigenous people in the region are consulted about alternative Indigenous governance structure following the abolition of ATSIC; service providers operating in community will regularly consult and negotiate with community to ensure the needs, aspirations and customary law are represented in decision making.
Strategies: Advocate to all levels of government to increase community capacity in governance; advocate language, skin groups, and clan estates as the basis for representative structures; develop alternative roles for Indigenous representation (youth, traditional owners, women, recognised leaders).

Education: :To ensure that the resources allocated to education are used to effectively meet the needs and priorities of the people.
Strategies: Promote alternative models of education delivery; support the implementation of recommendations of ' Learning Lessons' review of Indigenous Education; assist homeland residents in l

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