Ms WALKER - 2009-10-15
Earlier this year, the government announced its overarching policy, A Working Future, to drive social and economic development of our remote growth centres. Can you update the House on progress with this important work?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. I know she is very committed and passionate about her electorate of Nhulunbuy and the organisations there. The roll-out of A Working Future is now well under way across all Northern Territory government agencies, driven by a dedicated Service Delivery Coordination Unit in the Department of the Chief Minister, and the work of the independent Coordinator-General for Remote Services, Mr Bob Beadman. I meet with Mr Bob Beadman regularly, and I am looking forward to his first report to government later this year.
I take this opportunity also to inform the House that it is because of the vision of the member for Macdonnell that we have embarked on a very important strategy with A Working Future, and I continue to work with her in that capacity to ensure we can deliver what we aim to with regard to this policy.
We have built a strong team to take this forward, and I am especially pleased to see that our public servants, and also the non-government sector and local community people are embracing this work. They know the level of need and are enthused that there is a high level and coordinated plan to work to. We certainly understand the need to keep the management of this work very focused and on track, so a key early product is a reporting framework which the government, as a whole, can use to keep track of work and make sure community priorities and our policy objectives are being met in a coordinated and timely way.
We are developing a picture of current services and service gaps in each of our towns, with detailed analysis of the substantial infrastructure gaps inherited as a consequence of many decades of under-investment at a Territory and federal level.
One thing I have embarked on in my first weeks in this role is to get around as much as I can to as many organisations, individuals and families with regard to the A Working Future plan. I have had the opportunity to meet with all four of the land councils while in Alice Springs. I also made an effort to meet with many organisations there, including Lhere Artepe, also Barb Shaw and the families with the anti-intervention roll-back. What I have asked all these groups to recognise is that we need to find a way forward together, despite the differences many groups have, and despite the different ways groups see that they should go forward. My role, as the Minister for Indigenous Policy, is to try to bring these groups together. What we are trying to do now, with the federal government, is get on track to do that.
I met with Jenny Macklin last week. I am heartened by the conversations we have had, and I can clearly see there is a very strong commitment to seeing these growth towns across the Northern Territory. At the same time, I am acutely aware of the concerns of those groups, and organisations and communities that are not part of the 20 growth towns. I have asked my Indigenous Affairs Advisory Council to work with me and to keep an eye on monitoring the concerns of these other communities which are not a part of the 20 growth towns, because both the Northern Territory and federal governments are absolutely focused on making sure we can work with these communities in the 20 growth towns and, when we can see the improvements in these areas, it will have a natural flow-on effect to the outlying communities, outstations and homelands.
I have spoken with staff in the Children and Families area, and child protection is a very deep concern for me; growing our families is fundamental to the growth of our 20 growth towns. I am working with the staff of the Children and Families department who have clearly indicated to me they want to work on a long-term strategy for how we can service these 20 towns.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nhulunbuy for her question. I know she is very committed and passionate about her electorate of Nhulunbuy and the organisations there. The roll-out of A Working Future is now well under way across all Northern Territory government agencies, driven by a dedicated Service Delivery Coordination Unit in the Department of the Chief Minister, and the work of the independent Coordinator-General for Remote Services, Mr Bob Beadman. I meet with Mr Bob Beadman regularly, and I am looking forward to his first report to government later this year.
I take this opportunity also to inform the House that it is because of the vision of the member for Macdonnell that we have embarked on a very important strategy with A Working Future, and I continue to work with her in that capacity to ensure we can deliver what we aim to with regard to this policy.
We have built a strong team to take this forward, and I am especially pleased to see that our public servants, and also the non-government sector and local community people are embracing this work. They know the level of need and are enthused that there is a high level and coordinated plan to work to. We certainly understand the need to keep the management of this work very focused and on track, so a key early product is a reporting framework which the government, as a whole, can use to keep track of work and make sure community priorities and our policy objectives are being met in a coordinated and timely way.
We are developing a picture of current services and service gaps in each of our towns, with detailed analysis of the substantial infrastructure gaps inherited as a consequence of many decades of under-investment at a Territory and federal level.
One thing I have embarked on in my first weeks in this role is to get around as much as I can to as many organisations, individuals and families with regard to the A Working Future plan. I have had the opportunity to meet with all four of the land councils while in Alice Springs. I also made an effort to meet with many organisations there, including Lhere Artepe, also Barb Shaw and the families with the anti-intervention roll-back. What I have asked all these groups to recognise is that we need to find a way forward together, despite the differences many groups have, and despite the different ways groups see that they should go forward. My role, as the Minister for Indigenous Policy, is to try to bring these groups together. What we are trying to do now, with the federal government, is get on track to do that.
I met with Jenny Macklin last week. I am heartened by the conversations we have had, and I can clearly see there is a very strong commitment to seeing these growth towns across the Northern Territory. At the same time, I am acutely aware of the concerns of those groups, and organisations and communities that are not part of the 20 growth towns. I have asked my Indigenous Affairs Advisory Council to work with me and to keep an eye on monitoring the concerns of these other communities which are not a part of the 20 growth towns, because both the Northern Territory and federal governments are absolutely focused on making sure we can work with these communities in the 20 growth towns and, when we can see the improvements in these areas, it will have a natural flow-on effect to the outlying communities, outstations and homelands.
I have spoken with staff in the Children and Families area, and child protection is a very deep concern for me; growing our families is fundamental to the growth of our 20 growth towns. I am working with the staff of the Children and Families department who have clearly indicated to me they want to work on a long-term strategy for how we can service these 20 towns.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016