Discussion Papers
Looking beyond Indigenous Service Delivery: The Societal Purpose of Urban First Nations Organisations
Author/editor: Howard-Wagner, D, Reimer, J, Leha J et al
Paper no: 301
Year published: 2022
The paper analyses the quantitative findings of a three-year mixed-method research project developed in partnership with six urban First Nations organisations in the Australian state of New South Wales. The research is designed to engage with Closing the Gap 2020 , and past policy, in relation to...
Aboriginal Community Governance on the Frontlines and Faultlines in the Black Summer Bushfires
Author/editor: Williamson, B
Paper no: 300
Year published: 2022
The 2019–20 ‘Black Summer’ bushfires were unprecedented in their size, scale, and devastation. It was widely acknowledged that the bushfires disproportionally impacted Aboriginal people both in terms of the population of people affected, and the deep impact felt as people connected to the land. Yet...
The new policy architecture for Closing the Gap: Innovation and regression
Author/editor: M. C. Dillon
Paper no: 299
Year published: 2021
This paper describes the core elements of the new policy architecture for Closing the Gap set out in the National Partnership on Closing the Gap finalised in mid-2020. These issues are significant as Closing the Gap is the central pillar in government policy relating to Indigenous affairs. It...
The first decade of Closing the Gap: What went wrong?
Author/editor: M. C. Dillon
Paper no: 298
Year published: 2021
This paper assesses the major reviews and assessments of the National Indigenous Reform Agreement (NIRA), the COAG agreement that established the first iteration of Closing the Gap from 2008 to 2019. Since 2008, Closing the Gap has been the Australian Government’s central policy narrative in the...
The opinions of Indigenous Australians viewed through a population lens: The Reconciliation Barometer
Author/editor: T.Rowse
Paper no: 297
Year published: 2021
It is unavoidable that in discussions of Indigenous affairs we will refer to what Indigenous Australians think and want, but against what ‘evidence’ should we assess such representations? Since 2008 Reconciliation Australia has conducted a biennial survey, the Reconciliation Barometer, as a way to...
Codesign in the Indigenous policy domain: Risks and opportunities
Author/editor: M.C.Dillon
Paper no: 296
Year published: 2021
Abstract In recent years, the requirement for First Nations participation through codesign has emerged as a key prerequisite of policy legitimacy in the Indigenous policy domain. In this Discussion Paper, the mainstream literature on codesign and collaborative governance is surveyed and considered...
Observing the Strong Culture, Strong Families Program as an Innovative Indigenous Justice Program and More
Author/editor: D. Howard-Wagner and D. Evans
Paper no: 295
Year published: 2020
The purpose of this Discussion Paper is to report the observations of the Strong Culture, Strong Families program run for Aboriginal male detainees and their families in the Alexander Maconachie Centre, which is a prison and remand centre in the Australian Capital Territory. The paper aims to draw...