Gap closers: (L-r) Executive Member of SAACCON, Chris Larkin; Lead Convenor of SAACCON, Scott Wilson; Premier Steven Marshall; and Co-Convenor of SAACCON, Tina Quitadamo.
The Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC) has joined with the South Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation Network (SAACCON) to launch the State’s first implementation plan under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
DPC said South Australia’s Implementation Plan for the National Agreement on Closing the Gap contained more than 200 Government agency actions and set out the State’s plan for achieving and addressing the socio-economic targets embedded in the Closing the Gap Agreement.
It said the Plan addressed priority reforms to ensure the lives of Aboriginal people in South Australia could improve in all cultural, social and economic aspects.
The Department said the Plan focused on delivering positive outcomes in the areas of employment and business, improving the quality of Government services, and designing measures that would strengthen the capability of Aboriginal corporations and organisations.
Premier, Steven Marshall said that in the Plan’s opening statement the only way the State would collectively succeed in addressing the priority reforms and socio-economic targets embedded in the Closing the Gap Agreement would be through combined strengths.
“This first Implementation Plan is a tangible sign of our commitment to this task,” Mr Marshall said.
“As we move into the implementation phase, we are committed to engaging with the Aboriginal community at all levels and in all locations to create tangible and practical initiatives that will strengthen the wellbeing of Aboriginal South Australians,” he said.
Lead Convenor of SAACCON, Scott Wilson said the Network’s goal was to bring together the voices, expertise and experiences of the Aboriginal community-controlled sector and provide legitimate community-controlled representation to improve the life outcomes of Aboriginal peoples.
Mr Wilson said ways to meet this goal included Sharing decisions with Governments on policies and programs impacting Aboriginal peoples; Protecting and promoting the status of Aboriginal peoples as the First Peoples of South Australia with distinct cultures and languages as part of Closing the Gap; Ensuring shared decisions with Governments were informed by the needs and experiences of Aboriginal communities, community-controlled organisations and peoples; and Driving increased accountability of all Governments for the commitments in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
The 101-page Plan can be accessed at this PS News link.
