Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements Project

Agreement on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Service Delivery between The Commonwealth of Australia and The Government of Queensland
Date:	December 2005
Sub Category:	Regional Agreement
Place:
State/Country:	Queensland, Australia
Alternative Names:	Agreement on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Service Delivery (Queensland) Service Delivery Agreement between the Commonwealth Government and Queensland Bilateral Agreement between the Commonwealth Government and the State of Queensland on Service Delivery to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Queensland
Subject Matter:	\| Consultation \| Economic Development \| Education \| Health and Community Services
URL:	https://web.archive.org/web/20060501232217/http://www.oipc.gov.au/publications/PDF/IndigenousAffairsAgreementQLD.pdf
Summary Information:
The Agreement on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Service Delivery between The Commonwealth of Australia and The Government of Queensland (the Agreement) was signed by the Prime Minister John Howard and the Queensland Premier Peter Beattie in December 2005. The Agreement represents a formal commitment by both governments to work collaboratively with Indigenous communities in the areas of service planning and delivery, investment and performance evaluation. It also aims to reduce the bureaucratic burden on Indigenous communities. This is the second bilateral agreement to be signed under the Council of Australian Government's (COAG) National Framework of Principles for Delivering Services to Indigenous Australians (the first being that between the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory Government). The Agreement is intended to establish arrangements to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Queensland.
Detailed Information:
Priority Areas The Agreement is based upon priorities that were agreed in the Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage Report and which have subsequently been refined by both governments. The Commonwealth Government's priority areas are: early childhood intervention, focusing on improved mental and physical health; safer communities (including issues of authority, law and order and good governance) and developing community capacity; and enhancing 'Indigenous wealth, employment and entrepreneurial culture'. The Queensland Government's priority areas are: strengthened families and communities and strengthened cultures; safe places (including alcohol management and community-based law and justice issues); healthy living (including access to housing issues); and skilled and prosperous people and communities (including access to education and training issues). Community Engagement State and Commonwealth officials will coordinate their efforts for service provision at state, regional and local levels. It is intended that the establishment of joint forums for engagement will assist Indigenous communities to communicate and work with these two levels of government. The key mechanism for consultation will be 'Negotiation Tables'. It is also envisaged that the resulting increase in engagement between communities and government will provide the basis for the negotiation of Shared Responsibility Agreements (SRAs). Information The parties anticipate that the Agreement will provide Indigenous communities with better access to information, as well as allowing comparison with the rest of Queensland across a diverse range of measures from which priorities for action can be determined. Identified Locations Schedules to the Agreement identify locations in Queensland receiving particular attention under the Agreement. During 2005-2006, the Lockhart River community is to be part of a pilot program for streamlined bureaucratic processes and more flexible funding. Furthermore, joint government initatives in Cape York and on Palm Island are brought under the Agreement.It is intended that other areas will be identified for specific and coordinated action and added to Schedule Two. Monitoring The Agreement will be monitored by biannual meetings of senior officials, by joint workshops between government and Indigenous Coordination Centre Managers and by biannual meetings convened by the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy and Indigenous Coordination Centres.