Indigenous Implementation Board

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Aboriginal people and their culture are critical to the future of our State. Their unique knowledge is the defining element in building a sustainable future for Western Australia.

The Indigenous Implementation Board will drive the empowerment of Aboriginal people to create their own future. This provides the foundations on which strong partnerships can be built to bring about positive outcomes for all of us.

To achieve this it will catalyse a fundamental rethink of government policy. It will move swiftly to:

• Enable the Aboriginal design and delivery of services;
• Ensure the continuation of a vibrant living culture;
• Refocus regional governance to build sustainable communities, economies and environments; and
• Engage all sectors.

The Board has developed an action agenda for the first 100 days which includes:

• Starting regional dialogues, commencing in the Kimberley in March 2009 and moving across the State;
• Facilitating meetings of senior Aboriginal law men and women to advise the Board;
• Ensuring the development and empowerment of Indigenous leaders; and
• Commencing the redesign of Government process and decision making in partnership with the Aboriginal Affairs Coordinating Committee and Western Australian Aboriginal Affairs Advisory Committee.

Terms of reference
The responsibilities of the Board include:

1. Developing a framework to use to collaborate and focus resources for future agreements with the Commonwealth, Local Governments and other key stakeholders working with Indigenous Western Australians;
2. Establishing accountability mechanisms to monitor achievement against agreed targets and focus resources to maximise positive outcomes for Indigenous Western Australians;
3. Delivering a bi-annual report to Cabinet on progress in the Indigenous Affairs portfolio in Western Australia;
4. Driving fundamental policy shifts through stronger and more accountable Government governance, building trust through consistency and commitment;
5. Building effective participation of Indigenous people, and the broader WA leadership, supporting effective community governance, leadership and structures necessary to engage with Government; and
6. Providing advice on human and financial resources required for Indigenous people to participate in decision-making that affects community lives and the way services are provided.

Specific activities
Specific activities to be undertaken in the first two years include:

1. Establishing a Government governance framework to improve coordination and management of service delivery at the regional level;
2. Strategically positioning the State in relation to State, Commonwealth and Local Government responsibilities through relevant bilateral and other arrangements;
3. Developing, with State agencies, clear overarching regional action plans to guide current and future activities linked to bilateral arrangements and State investment priorities;
4. Producing an annual Western Australian report on achievement of Indigenous outcomes against the investment in Indigenous affairs, including specific and mainstream services to Indigenous people in Western Australia. This will also be provided at a regional level; and
5. Leading current and future planning to focus the State investment in Indigenous communities that can provide a more sustainable quality of life and enhance the capacity of Indigenous people to contribute to the common wealth of Western Australia.

Intended outcomes
These activities will establish the conditions for a stronger ongoing commitment by:

1. Ensuring that Government agencies are aware of how their services and programs fit within a State framework;
2. Researching, monitoring and reporting on the progress of Government agencies in meeting their outcomes centrally, regionally and in local areas;
3. Influencing development approval outcomes to maximise the investment in Aboriginal economic development; and
4. Partnering with Commonwealth, Local Government, education institutions and business to leverage support for the State effort.

Reporting
The Board will report to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs with the Department of Indigenous Affairs (DIA) providing the Secretariat.

The Board will provide three written reports over the first two years of operation:

1. Report to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs on progress of the Board, six months following its commencement;
2. Report to the Minister for Indigenous on progress of the Board, 12 months following its commencement; and
3. Report on progress in the Indigenous Affairs portfolio following 18 months of the Board’s operation.

The Board is an important part of the State Government commitment to see the advancement of Indigenous Western Australians. It is well placed to provide advice on the causes, not the symptoms, of Indigenous disadvantage and to develop a proposal for a regionally based reform agenda that can be progressed through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) and modelled federally.

Click here to see frequently asked questions about the Board.