The Central Land Council has pledged to work closely with the Albanese government in its second term to progress the commitments in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
The CLC welcomes Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s commitment in his election night speech to supporting the empowerment of First Nations people “because we will be a stronger nation when we close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians”.
“I congratulate Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and look forward to meeting him and the Minister for Indigenous Australians to ensure everything that can be done is being done with respect to the sky-high cost of living, lack of real jobs and overcrowded and dilapidated houses,” chair Warren Williams said.
“Residents urgently need relief from high grocery, fuel, electricity, and transport costs, along with a substantial increase in the remote area allowance, which has not been adjusted in 25 years”.
Through its membership in the Coalition of Peaks and Aboriginal Peak Organisations NT, the CLC will continue to support resetting the National Agreement on Closing the Gap to address the Productivity Commission and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led reviews.
The CLC also welcomes the treasurer’s commitment to finalising a First Nations Economic Empowerment Partnership with the Coalition of Peaks, which needs to focus strongly on building blocks such as employment.
At the same time, the CLC wants to see a significant shift in the policies and programs surrounding remote employment services, focusing on job creation, strengthening community control and ensuring greater accountability and reporting.
Introducing 3,000 jobs through the Remote Jobs and Economic Development program is an important part of the reform effort and a welcome first step. Clearly, more jobs are needed to support approximately 40,000 people who will not get a job through the current RJED program.
The CLC looks forward to working constructively with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister Malarndirri McCarthy to progress Indigenous policy priorities.
“Together, we hope to strengthen outcomes for our communities, support self-determination, and ensure Aboriginal voices continue to shape the decisions that affect our lives,” said Mr Williams.