The nation is failing to address the systemic disadvantages experienced by First Nations communities, according to the latest Closing the Gap data released by the Productivity Commission on Thursday.
Four of the 17 targets are on track: the birth weights of Indigenous babies, preschool kids attending early childhood education, and youth detention rates are trending in the right direction, while gains are being seen in land and sea rights.
As of 30 June 2021, 89.5% of Indigenous babies were born at a healthy weight compared with 88.8% in 2017 (its baseline year) while 97.6% of preschool-aged children are enrolled in early education compared with 76.7% in 2016, the baseline data year.
The report is the second to be released after the brokering of new targets and a new Closing the Gap agreement by the Morrison government. That followed substantial negotiation with the states and territories as well as peak Aboriginal bodies, after more than a decade of failed targets in areas such as education, health, and life expectancy.
The minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, said the report showed more work was needed to address systemic disadvantages.
“There are some disappointing results in the latest figures – it’s clear that more work needs to be done,” Burney said in a statement.
She said she was keen to work with Indigenous peak bodies to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can enjoy the same quality of life as others.
“I look forward to driving progress with our partners, including the Coalition of Peaks and state and territory ministerial colleagues, at my first joint council meeting for Closing the Gap in late August in Adelaide,” Burney said.
The report found that targets to reduce rates of suicide, adult incarceration, and First Nations children in out-of-home care were not on track. It also found thatIndigenous kids were less likely to have reached developmental milestones when they began their schooling.
Indigenous children are now more likely to be taken into out-of-home care than they were in 2019.
The rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–17 in out-of-home care was 57.6 per 1,000 children in the population – an increase from 54.2 per 1,000 in 2019.
The suicide rates for First Nations people in 2020 in New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory was also worsening.
As of 2021, the suicide rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples was 27.9 per 100,000 people compared with 25.0 per 100,000 people in 2018.
Commissioner of the Productivity Commission, Romlie Mokak, said the data released on Thursday should be read with caution, because it is the result of just two years’ collection. More data was needed to get an accurate picture of trends, he said.
“While progress has been made toward developing the data [that] we need to see if these actions are happening, we don’t yet have the data,” Mokak said in a statement.
“Developing these data remains an important priority.”
The report comes as the Albanese government announces an extra $57m in funding to boost Indigenous culture, arts and languages. Strengthening Indigenous languages and cultures is one of the new Closing the Gap targets.
Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day: Lifeline 13 11 14; Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467; Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800; MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78; Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
