CLOSING THE GAP - WIDER THAN EVER

August 2024

The Gap between Aboriginal people in Tasmania and across the country, compared to others, is getting wider.

Aboriginal people are becoming more disadvantaged with a lack of progress towards Closing the Gap as detailed in the recently released Annual Data Compilation report by the Productivity Commission.

The report showed that of the 19 targets set to uplift the lives of Aboriginal peoples, 14 are not on track.

The Tasmanian and Australian Governments are key partners in this agreement, and it is simply unacceptable. They must urgently step up their efforts to address this alarming lack of progress to realise the outcomes that they have committed to.

As a Tasmanian Aboriginal Organisation dedicated to supporting our people in the legal and justice system, it is evident that there is more work, more demand and more people in need of assistance.

Key targets aimed at improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in contact with the legal and justice system, the child protection system and for family violence, to be achieved by 2031 include;

• Target 10 - Reduce the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults held in incarceration by at least 15 per cent.
• Target 11 - Reduce the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people (10-17 years) in detention by at least 30 per cent.
• Target 12 - Reduce the rate of over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care by 45 per cent.
• Target 13 - Reduce the rate of all forms of family violence and abuse against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children by at least 50 per cent, as progress towards zero.

The Productivity Commissions Report highlighted that while there was an improvement in the imprisonment rates for Aboriginal young men and women nationally, Tasmania was an exception.

The report also highlighted that in Tasmania, for youth aged 10-3 years when they first entered youth detention, had increased.

The evidence is clear, and it is mounting. Here in Tasmania and across Australia, both levels of Government must do more to realise the commitments that were made.

Action needs to occur now, otherwise the Closing the Gap commitment will be nothing more than another false promise to Aboriginal people and communities.

Earlier this year, the review titled the National Legal Assistance Partnership (NLAP) Review, which looks at assistance available to Aboriginal people across Australia, revealed that Aboriginal Legal Services and Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention Legal Services are severely underfunded and made several recommendations to support this.

To date, neither the Tasmanian nor Australian Governments have provided a public response to this review.

What does that say to Aboriginal people and others in need of legal assistance?

What does this say to the Government’s commitment to Targets 10, 11, 12, 13 under Closing the Gap?

Tasmanian Aboriginal Organisations continue to advocate for greater levels of funding to support all 19 Targets under Closing the Gap and believe we are best positioned to identify solutions and drive positive outcomes for our people.

The Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service has repeatedly called on the State and Federal Government to allocate funding to Tasmania’s Custody Notification Service. Tasmania is one of only two states across the country without dedicated funding from any level of government for this service.

This absence of funding further disadvantages Tasmanian Aboriginal people, raising questions about the governments' commitment to supporting Aboriginal people in this state.

We have also engaged the State Government regarding support for SiS Tasmania, Tasmania’s specialist Family Violence Prevention Legal Service.

This service aids to prevent and assist Tasmanian Aboriginal families, namely women and children who experience family violence. Now more than ever we need to be doing more to prevent and support those who are experiencing family violence. Particularly when Aboriginal women are 11 times more likely to lose their lives to assault than non-Aboriginal women.

In addition to the Closing the Gap commitments, there are other government initiatives such as the Tasmanian Government's Department of Justice Strategic Plan and the Third Family and Sexual Violence Action Plan, demonstrating a broader commitment to addressing these pressing issues.

The recently released Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women's Report further underscores the urgent need for additional support and resources.

Both the Tasmanian and Australian Governments must do more. But let’s be clear about what more looks like.

More is not simply words on a page, or commitments made. More is tangible actions that effect real change, and it is prioritising action over rhetoric to ensure meaningful steps forward.

This years State Budget and the next Tasmanian Closing the Gap Implementation plan will be real indicators of the Tasmanian Governments position in changing the current trajectory for Aboriginal people and communities in this state.

Jake Smith, Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service CEO

Media contact: A. Mark Thomas, M&M Communications, 0422 006 732