Indigenous Affairs Advisory Committee (IAAC)

The Indigenous Affairs Advisory Committee is the mechanism for the implementation of the Statement of Commitment to a New and Just Relationship and whole-of-government management of Indigenous affairs in Western Australia.

The IAAC is the formal advisor to the State Government on Indigenous affairs in Western Australia. It provides a consultative forum between Government and the Indigenous community for jointly addressing a broad range of issues affecting the economic, social and cultural advancement of Indigenous Western Australians.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission WA State Council (AWASC) represents a united voice in expressing desired targets for Indigenous peoples. This single peak body is supported by three major Aboriginal representative bodies namely WA Community Controlled Health Organisation (WACCHO), the WA Aboriginal Native Title Working Group (WAANTWG) and the Aboriginal Legal Service of WA (ALSWA).

IAAC Membership

The official composition of the IAAC is as follows:

Minister for Indigenous Affairs - Chair
Chairperson, ATSIC WA State Council - Member
Nominated Chairperson, ATSIC Regional Council - Member
Nominated Chairperson, ATSIC Portfolio Committee - Member
Manager, ATSIC WA State Policy Centre - Member
Director General, Department of the Premier and Cabinet - Member
Executive Director, Policy Office, Department of the Premier and Cabinet - Ex-officio Member
Director General, Department of Indigenous Affairs - Member
Director General, Department of Education - Member
Director General, Department of Health - Member
Director General, Department of Justice - Member
Director General, Department of Community Development - Member
Director General, Department of Housing and Works - Member
Director General, Department of Industry and Technology - Member
Commissioner, Western Australian Police Service - Member

Membership to the Committee is exclusive to the above positions and cannot be replaced by deputies. However, officials of member agencies may attend to present specific agenda items in the absence of the committee member.

The Western Australian State Managers of the following Commonwealth agencies were initially invited to participate in meetings as guests but are now formal members, as agreed at the 7 June IAAC meeting:

Department of Health and Ageing
Department of Family and Community Services
Department of Education, Science and Training
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Department of Transport and Regional Services.

IAAC Meetings

The IAAC meets twice a year, on the first week of May and September.

Working Groups: mechanisms to achieve IAAC goals

The IAAC has established cross-portfolio Working Groups as mechanisms for progressing specific agenda items, as follows:

Tjurabalan Priority Project
Martu Priority Project
Northbridge Priority Project
Prevention of Child Abuse in Indigenous Communities
Improving Retention and Academic Achievement through Sports and Recreation
Development of Agreed Indigenous Benchmarks
Commonwealth/State Funding Arrangements that Impact on the Provision of Services to Indigenous People

Each working group have specific terms of reference, have identified lead agencies, and have clear reporting mechanisms and specific reporting timelines.