Some good Closing the Gap news from Productivity Commission, but only some

Good progress is being made on some Closing the Gap targets while others remain woefully lacking, says the Productivity Commission’s latest update.

The Productivity Commission’s Closing the Gap Dashboard shows encouraging progress in several key areas across all states and territories, particularly in land and sea rights and internet access.

But in the areas of incarceration, child removal and suicide prevention there remain critical challenges requiring urgent government action.

In the ACT, some gains have been recorded, but housing and youth detention remain priorities.

In releasing its update, the Productivity Commission has reiterated its call for all governments to fully implement their commitments to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

It says such commitments are essential to driving long-term, systemic improvements.

Commissioner Selwyn Button stressed the point in releasing the dashboard report.

“In our review of progress towards the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, we found that governments had not taken enough meaningful action to meet their commitments under the agreement,” he said.

“The continued worsening of outcomes we’ve seen in some Closing the Gap target areas shows the importance of governments taking their commitments to the National Agreement seriously and taking meaningful actions to fully implement the priority reforms.”

The Coalition of Peaks, a representative body of more than 80 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled peak bodies (collectively representing around 800 organisations), has welcomed the progress on some issues while urging for more action on other critical areas.

Pat Turner, lead convenor of the Coalition of Peaks, said there was real progress in some areas.

“We know that when governments genuinely partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, we see positive outcomes,” she said.

“The growing recognition of our land and sea rights and increased digital access show what is possible when the right policies and investments are made. But in critical areas like incarceration, child protection and suicide prevention, we are seeing setbacks.

“Governments must step up and fully implement the Priority Reforms of the Closing the Gap Agreement.

“Too often, we see delay, half-measures and a failure to empower our communities with real decision-making power. If we are to achieve lasting change, the solutions must be led by us, not imposed upon us.”

Ms Turner said genuine partnership requires deep understanding, where different perspectives and ways of knowing come together to create truly effective solutions.

The more united the nation is, she said, the more it can navigate challenges with a shared vision.

“If we fail to work in an interconnected way, policies risk sounding good in theory but failing in practice,” Ms Turner said.

“Collaboration and a genuine commitment to real partnerships aren’t just ideals – they are essential to Closing the Gap.

“This is a lifelong journey that requires mature leadership from all of us, particularly from governments.”

Key areas of progress revealed in the Productivity Commission’s update include:

• Land and Sea Rights (Targets 15A & 15B): The recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights and interests over land and sea continues to grow, remaining on track.
• Internet access (Target 17): Data shows that 88.3 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 and over have used the internet in the past three months, reflecting increasing digital access.
• Health and wellbeing: Some states and territories have reported gains in key health indicators, which highlight where genuine partnership and shared-decision making have occurred.

Critical areas requiring urgent change relate to:

• Incarceration (Target 10): The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in prisons increased by 15 per cent between 2023 and 2024 – a 30 per cent increase since 2019 (the baseline year).
• Child protection (Target 12): The rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care has risen from 47.3 per 1,000 in 2019 to 50.3 per 1,000 in 2024.
• Suicide (Target 14): The rate of suicide among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people reached 30.8 per 100,000 in 2023, the highest recorded since 2018.

Each jurisdiction has seen some improvements, but major challenges persist.

The Coalition of Peaks is using the data to highlight that positive change is achievable when governments work in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

To accelerate progress, it says stronger action is needed on the four Priority Reforms of formal partnerships and shared decision-making; building the community-controlled sector; transforming government agencies and institutions; and shared access to data and information.