Closing the Gap - a new strategy

Indigenous Australians are at a marked disadvantage compared to non-Indigenous Australians and the gap has not decreased over the past decade or more. The Closing the Gap strategy aims to reduce Indigenous disadvantage with respect to life expectancy, child mortality, access to early childhood education, educational achievement and employment outcomes. In 2009, the Prime Minister, the Hon Kevin Rudd MP, made his first annual report to Parliament on this strategy.

Visit the The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs website for further information. 

A National Indigenous Reform Agreement has been made between the Australian government and all state governments. This agreement sets the objectives, outcomes and performance measures for Closing the Gap.

• Download the agreement ( PDF 251KB | RTF 1.55MB)

 
Employment

• The Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) program concentrates on work readiness in remote areas with emerging and limited economies.
• The Indigenous Employment Program (IEP) has been expanded to include more support for employers, especially small and medium businesses, including pre-employment training and mentoring.
• The Australian Employment Covenant is a national industry-led initiative to place and retain 50,000 Indigenous people in ‘covenant’ jobs.

Education

There are 35 Children and Family Centres to be established across Australia by June 2014 to deliver integrated services that offer early learning, child-care and family support programs. The first centres will be established in the ACT, Campbelltown, Blacktown and Ballina specifically to improve the quality of life for Indigenous children and their families.

There are a number of other programs and initiatives aimed at improving the education of Indigenous Australians available on the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations website.

• Early Childhood
• Schooling
• Higher Education

Health

• Tackling Chronic Disease

More Information

• Indigenous Portal

Other Indigenous services and programs:

• The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs website.
• The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations website.