Indigenous Partnership Agreement

An agreement between Queensland’s 19 Aboriginal and mainland Torres Strait Islander communities and the Queensland Government 

July 2007
Preamble to this Agreement
This Agreement is made in a spirit of partnership, as an expression of our joint commitment to improving the circumstances and opportunities of the people of the Indigenous communities concerned.

This Agreement is a building block for further engagement and reform to address the priorities that are shared across the communities. As priorities are dealt with, agreed actions can be added as schedules to this Agreement.

This Agreement is acknowledges that as part of the local government reform process currently underway, councils are jointly and individually making submissions to the Local Government Review Commission, and that representatives of Indigenous councils are engaged in the review and transition process. 

This Agreement will be reviewed in October / November 2007 in the light of the outcomes of that process.

This Agreement also acknowledges that each community will enter into its own Local Indigenous Partnership Agreement, complementary to this Agreement and negotiated on a community-by-community basis.

This Agreement, together with the community-level Local Indigenous Partnership Agreements, will inform government policies, programs, service and infrastructure delivery, and future resourcing arrangements, in order to build more liveable, prosperous and sustainable futures in and beyond the communities.

Background to this Agreement
1. At an historic Ministerial Indigenous Roundtable in Atherton in February 2007 between the Premier, six Ministers and Mayors of the Aboriginal and mainland Torres Strait Islander communities, it was resolved that a new partnership, with a focus on actions that deliver results, was required to deal with the disadvantages of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples living in those communities.
2. During the past decade the Queensland Government has undertaken a range of initiatives to address the disadvantages suffered by Indigenous Queenslanders. These initiatives include: Cape York Partnerships; the Cape York Justice Study and the government’s response Meeting Challenges: Making Choices; Government Champions and Negotiation Tables; Partnerships Queensland; the Council Of Australian Governments trials and the Bilateral Agreement between the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments; and the Community Governance Improvement Strategy. These initiatives have improved services, capacities and relationships. However, much more needs to be done.
3. Data outlined in the Partnerships Queensland Baseline Report 2006, outstanding issues arising from Negotiation Tables and other government reviews, and feedback from elected representatives, officials and others, indicate that bigger steps are needed from governments and communities to secure a better future for Indigenous Queenslanders, especially children and young people.
4. This Agreement acknowledges that the gap in the life outcomes and opportunities between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders and other Queenslanders is too great, and is at risk of widening as other Queenslanders stand to gain greater benefits from Queensland’s strong economy and continued growth in living standards.
5. This Agreement provides an overarching framework for governments and communities to work together in partnership, by strengthening leadership, engagement, capacity and service delivery, for the future wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders. This Agreement outlines the priorities and expectations for both government and community action. This will be complemented by schedules agreed and added over time to address priorities, as well as Local Indigenous Partnership Agreements, which will be developed by the end of 2007 with communities through Negotiation Tables.
Term and Parties to the Agreement
6. The term of this Agreement is three years – from 2007 to 2010. The Parties to this Agreement are the Queensland Government and the 19 Aboriginal and mainland Torres Strait Islander communities. As elected community leaders, the Mayors are entering into this agreement with the Queensland Government for the following communities:
•	Aurukun
•	Bamaga
•	Cherbourg
•	Doomadgee
•	Hope Vale
•	Injinoo
•	Kowanyama
•	Lockhart River
•	Mapoon
•	Mornington Island
•	Napranum
•	New Mapoon
•	Palm Island
•	Pormpuraaw
•	Seisia
•	Umagico
•	Wujal Wujal
•	Woorabinda
•	Yarrabah

Principles of the Agreement
7. To make the significant progress envisaged in this Agreement, government and community leadership must:
•	be positive, determined, engaged and enabling
•	confront hard issues
•	model appropriate behaviours
•	achieve communities talking about and taking positive steps
•	make agencies work collaboratively and competently.
8. This Agreement recognises the critical need for collaboration and demonstrates the Parties’ commitment to work together in partnership to achieve better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders. It incorporates the principles in the Agreement on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Service Delivery 2005–2010 between the Commonwealth and Queensland governments. These principles are:
•	sharing responsibility
•	harnessing the mainstream
•	streamlining service delivery
•	establishing transparency and accountability
•	developing a learning framework.
9. This Agreement adopts six additional principles:
•	leading by example
•	engaging effectively
•	creating choices for people in and beyond the communities
•	encouraging and rewarding positive behaviours
•	building capacities and working in partnership across sectors
•	recognising achievements and building on strengths.

10. The aspirations driving this Agreement are those of the majority of people living in Indigenous communities. They are essentially the same as other Queenslanders, which are:
•	to be safe and well
•	to have a good education, rewarding job and decent standard of living
•	to have their cultures affirmed and celebrated
•	to have access to good services and amenities
•	to be able to make a good life for themselves, their families and
•	their children
•	to live in communities that are sustainable, liveable and prosperous.

Scope of this Agreement
11. The Parties acknowledge the broad scope of areas in which governments and others can contribute to create prosperous, sustainable and liveable places. These include:
•	community safety, law and justice
•	land, housing, infrastructure, transport and communications
•	health, wellbeing and safety for children, young people, families and elders,
•	education, training, employment, enterprise and economic development
•	reconciliation, cultural affirmation and community activities
•	governance, capacity, engagement and partnerships.

The Parties also acknowledge the inter-related nature of these areas, as actions in one area will impact on another.
12. The Parties agree that within these areas there are priorities for reform at a systemic level, that is, actions that improve policies, programs and services, as well as practical actions at a local level across the communities. The initial priorities are:
•	child safety and family wellbeing
•	chronic disease
•	housing and home ownership
•	alcohol and other substance abuse (including petrol) and associated behaviours such as violence
•	education and training
•	land tenure and access
•	employment
•	policing
•	community governance.

Governance, service delivery and financing arrangements
13. The Parties acknowledge the need for appropriate and effective community governance, service delivery and resource arrangements at local and regional levels. The Queensland Government recognises the cultural identities and interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their communities.

Initial commitments
14. To demonstrate our shared commitment to partnership and to actions that deliver results, the Parties agree to the following actions in relation to above priority issues.

Our shared commitments
Community leaders will:

• Work collaboratively with government and community to resolve land tenure and land access for infrastructure and services.
• Support local ‘Pride of Place’ initiatives.
• Provide sound tenancy and property management of housing stock and ensure tenants understand their rights and obligations including care of their own dwelling.
• Encourage families to send their children to school regularly.
• Promote positive family and community links with schools.
• Support the delivery of improved child protection services through actively promoting the protection of children in the communities.
• Promote training and effective use of the 20 per cent policy by strengthening links with local employers and potential employers.
• Promote healthy food choices in retail stores.
• Promote participation in sporting and physical recreation activities for all ages within the community.
• Promote responsible community behaviours and lead by example by not tolerating illegal or anti-social activities that impact badly on community wellbeing.
• Work collaboratively with and support community justice groups.
• Comply with corporate governance requirements.
• Welcome and support government and non-government staff (and their families) providing local services in the community and facilitate cultural orientation processes.
• Adopt and implement appropriate local laws at a community level.
• Promote the participation of local citizens and organisations in effective engagement with governments through Negotiation Tables and reviews of alcohol management, policing and other matters.
• Share knowledge and information with other communities in relation to key engagement processes such as the Negotiation Tables.
• Share data and local level information with government in relation to community wellbeing measures.

Queensland Government will:

• Reform legislation relating to land tenure to enable long-term leasing and improved land management arrangements.
• Support appropriate Indigenous entities as trustees of Deed of Grant in Trust lands.
• Improve the coordination, planning and models for delivery of effective services and infrastructure.
• Investigate ways to support local ‘Pride of Place’ initiatives.
• Improve tenancy management and maintenance of social housing.
• Seek Commonwealth support for increased investment in Indigenous housing.
• Examine options to promote home ownership.
• Promote parental and community engagement in education.
• Provide high quality education services.
• Provide ongoing research to support progress in education improvement and reform.
• Build leadership and teacher capacity.
• Support Indigenous people to train as teachers in their home communities.
• Deliver improved child protection and family services and support community involvement.
• Address impacts of Commonwealth reforms to Community Development Employment Program (CDEP) on State-provided and funded positions.
• Develop strategies in key areas such as such construction and local industry.
• Review and strengthen the 20 per cent policy for Indigenous participation in government construction projects.
• Improve access to training, employment and enterprise opportunities.
• Support communities in identification of sporting and recreation priorities and development of practical and meaningful solutions through the Active Murri and Ailan Strategy and the Alcohol and other substances Demand Reduction Program.
• Promote healthy food choices in retail stores.
• Undertake a new initiative to provide information and expertise on nutrition and physical activity under Indigenous health funding package.
• Respond to the findings of the Crime and Misconduct Commission inquiry into policing Indigenous communities.
• Review alcohol supply and demand restriction policies and programs, including alcohol management plans, in consultation with the community and other stakeholders.
• Resource and implement local alcohol demand reduction strategies.
• Support community leaders to address concerns regarding anti-social behaviour through the Negotiation Table process.
• Support communities to address governance through the Strengthening Non-Government Organisations Strategy and the Community Governance Improvement Strategy.
• Promote the cultural competence of staff working in and with Indigenous communities through improved information, support and training.
• Improve service delivery through the Government Coordination Office.
• Support development and implementation of local laws at a community level.
• Commit to the continuous improvement of Negotiation Table processes.
• Strengthen support to Government Champions.

Local Indigenous Partnership Agreements
15. The Parties agree that the partnership approach reflected in this Agreement will be implemented on the ground through Local Indigenous Partnership Agreements and improved Negotiation Tables.
16. Local Indigenous Partnership Agreements will be informed by local data and include negotiated targets. Local Indigenous Partnership Agreements, and this Agreement, will be reviewed and reported to both communities and governments annually. Regional gatherings of key stakeholders may be convened to advance particular reforms. The Parties agree to work together, commencing immediately, to develop the Local Indigenous Partnership Agreements throughout 2007.
17. It is acknowledged that the circumstances and priorities of particular communities differ, and that Local Indigenous Partnership Agreements will vary. Some communities may commit to specific welfare reform priorities as part of or in conjunction with Local Indigenous Partnership Agreements.
18. The Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships will establish a fund which may be accessed to support one-off initiatives arising from Local Indigenous Partnership Agreements.
19. Annual progress reports will be produced – jointly with councils – to track progress on Local Indigenous Partnership Agreements. This will include input from communities to help explain what is happening and why, and what might be done to make things better.

Schedules on priority issues
20. The Parties agree, over and above any initial specific commitments in this Agreement, to negotiate actions – particularly in relation to significant reforms and as informed by issues from Local Indigenous Partnership Agreements – to address the above-listed priorities, to be attached when agreed as schedules to this Agreement.

Actioning this Agreement
21. The Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, the Government Coordinator, Indigenous Service Delivery, and the Mayors as the elected community leaders will facilitate these initiatives, in conjunction with the Government Champions, other agencies, and in liaison with the Commonwealth Government pursuant to the Bilateral Agreement.
22. The Parties acknowledge that the priorities and actions required will change over time and that this Agreement will evolve, but that the shared commitment to working collaboratively and in partnership must remain constant.
Checking progress and improving our approaches
23. The following key indicators provide a means by which we may track progress and target our activities. Each of these indicators is to be collected at an individual community level and will be supported by more detailed measures in Local Indigenous Partnership Agreements.

Indigenous Partnership Agreement – key indicators
Healthy babies and children

Indicators:
Low birth weight (between 1500 and 2500 grams)
Low birth weight per 1000 births.
Young teenage motherhood
(17 years and younger)
Teenage birth rate per 1000 births.
Child safety (Child protection orders)
Distinct children subject to a finalised protection order per 1000 children aged 0-14 years.

School attendance (years 1- 7)

Indicators:
School attendance rate for years 1 through to 7 combined.
Successful early childhood development
Literacy and numeracy (benchmarks)
Percentage of students achieving the national benchmarks in years 3, 5 and 7, and in year 9 when available.

Safe and prosperous adulthood

Indicators:
Chronic disease (incidence of major chronic diseases)
Chronic disease hospitalisation rate per 1000 adults 25 years and older.
Employment (workforce participation rate)
Work force participation rate stratified by CDEP and other.
Housing (community housing)

Community wellbeing

Indicators:
Housing
Number of houses on communities requiring major repairs or replacement.
Alcohol and violence (offences against the person)
Number of offences against the person stratified by alcohol related and other.

24. The Parties also agree to better review and evaluation, and dialogue and learning, about what is working and what can be done better. Local-level information, as well as other data, is critical to informing progress and improvement.
25. The Parties to this Agreement will use the Partnerships Queensland policy and performance framework, and its tools and reports, as a means to check progress and drive further improvement.
26. A website will be established as a community portal to provide a clearing house for data, stories, case studies, reports and contacts for learning and networking across communities and agencies.
27. The Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships will convene twice-yearly Roundtables to check progress, confirm commitments and reset priorities as necessary.
28. A formal evaluation will be undertaken over the next three years of this Agreement and associated activities and their results.