National Agreement on Closing the Gap

Aboriginal Partnerships works with Tasmania’s Coalition of Peaks partner (the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre) and all Tasmanian government organisations to implement the National Agreement on Closing the Gap 2020 in Tasmania.

Through the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, the Tasmanian Government has committed to making relevant policy in full and genuine partnership with Aboriginal people, and to sharing decision-making over the way programs and services are designed, delivered, monitored, and evaluated. This requires systemic and cultural change in the way the Tasmanian Government and its officers work with Aboriginal people and the Aboriginal community-controlled sector.

The National Agreement applies to all Tasmanian government organisations without exception, including Australian Government and local government organisations in Tasmania, and organisations that receive government funding in Tasmania.

At the centre of the National Agreement are four priority reforms that focus on changing the way governments work with Aboriginal people.

Priority Reforms

The priority reforms of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap 2020 are:

Formal partnerships and shared decision-making: with Aboriginal people, on policies, programs and services that are relevant to Aboriginal people
Build the Aboriginal community-controlled sector
Transform government organisations: so they work better for Aboriginal people
Share access to data and information at a regional level: to enable Aboriginal organisations and people to make informed decisions and support achievement of the other three priority reforms.

As a signatory to the National Agreement, the Tasmanian Government committed to the priority reforms and recognises that closing the gap in life outcomes between Tasmanian Aboriginal people and the whole Tasmanian community will only be achieved when Aboriginal people are genuine partners in the design and delivery of policy, programs and services that are relevant to them.