Three years on:Embedding new ways of working

ochre: three years on

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ISBN: 978-0-9585971-5-9 © December 2016

ochre@aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au www.aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au

Healing

EmpowermentOpportunity

ResponsibilityChoice

ARTIST RECOGNITION

Kim Healey is a descendant of the Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirrnations, and also a descendant of the Djunbun (Platypus) Clan,original custodians of the Washpool at Lionsville in Northern NSW.She currently lives within Country in South Grafton NSW, creatingand telling her stories along the mighty Clarence River. Kim strivesto capture Country and utilise her voice through her work, tointerpret the world around her.

This work captures Kim Healey’s connection to Country. It speaksof the Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr nations which were createdby the Yuladarah, the creator of rivers, boundaries and tribal land.This is the Clarence River boundary with Susan Island in themiddle of these two tribes which is a birthing place. Using asgraffito technique, scribing in the sandy medium is a mappingsystem of Country.

Ochre is culturally significant to Aboriginalpeople within NSW and is used inceremonies to bind people to each otherand their Country. Ochre is recognised forits special healing powers which promotephysical, emotional and spiritual health.

stands for:

ochre: three years on

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CONTENTS Minister’s Foreword 4

Message from the Head of Aboriginal Affairs 5

The voices and stories of the Regional Alliance Chairs 6

ABOUT OCHRE 8

History 8

Aims 8

Key initiatives 9

OUR ACHIEVEMENTS 10

MEASURING SUCCESS – OUR JOURNEY 11

WHAT WE HAVE LEARNT 12

REPORTING BY INITIATIVE 14

Staying accountable 15

Local languages, local cultures 17

Putting schools at the heart of our community 18

Growing jobs and economic opportunities 20

Local communities, local initiatives 23

Promoting healing 25

NEXT STEPS 26

  

 

The third annual report of the Opportunity, Choice, Healing,

Responsibility and Empowerment (OCHRE) plan shows just

how much we can achieve when we work together toward

agreed goals and outcomes.

The NSW Government has made a long term commitment under OCHRE, focussingon embedding partnerships, ensuring successful initiatives, and improving theeffectiveness of government expenditure.

The impact of the initiatives will be evidenced by a 10 year commitment to ongoingevaluation that will help to guide and inform the development of future priorities.

Given the relatively young age of the Aboriginal population in New South Wales I ampleased to see significant achievement against the initiatives that support Aboriginalstudents to succeed – language, education and job opportunities.

During the past twelve months I have visited communities across the State and have heard more Aboriginal language being spoken by children and young adults. I have experienced the enthusiasm of young adults as they plan for their future withthe support of the Opportunity Hubs. I have seen first-hand the commitment ofparents in Connected Communities schools that has strengthened the focus oneducational success and contributed to the health and wellbeing of the students and the broader community.

The enthusiasm of each of the Aboriginal Regional Alliance participating in LocalDecision Making has been unwavering and I acknowledge each of the Chairs fortheir commitment to work with this Government in driving sustainable change. Thiswill ensure we continue to understand the priorities for each community, so thattogether we can design service delivery that will make a real difference in overcomingAboriginal disadvantage.

Committing to improved delivery of Aboriginal training and employment targets underthe Aboriginal Participation in Construction Policy and growing engagement byAboriginal enterprises in Government procurement provides a strong basis foreconomic prosperity.

I look forward to the next twelve months, particularly the OCHRE Regional HealingForums and the continued progress of the coordinated approach to specific issuesthrough Solution Brokerage.

While much has been achieved, there is still more to do and learn. I look forward tothe next steps in our journey together.

– Leslie Williams MPMinister for Aboriginal Affairs

ochre: three years on

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MINISTER’S FOREWORD

NSW continues to demonstrate strong leadership in Aboriginal

Affairs, building on the foundations that OCHRE provides.

Furthering OCHRE’s commitment to support Aboriginal people to heal their pastsand determine their futures, NSW has achieved another first: the Government’srecent announcement that it will legislate to recognise and protect NSW Aboriginallanguages.

The decision, which responds to feedback from Aboriginal communities, strengthensthe Government’s commitment under OCHRE to refresh the existing policy onAboriginal languages. The legislation will follow the same principles that shape LocalDecision Making, and will position Aboriginal peoples as the owners of theirlanguages and the authorities on the action required to revitalise those languages.

Also completed this year is Growing NSW’s first economy, a framework forAboriginal economic prosperity. Like other initiatives under OCHRE, the frameworkreflects a strengths-based approach. It has not been developed as a separate,stand-alone, Aboriginal-specific policy. Instead, Growing NSW’s first economyembeds support for Aboriginal people to participate in the mainstream economywithin the Premier’s and the Government’s priorities as set out in Making it happen.The NSW Government is due to table its response to the Legislative Council’s Inquiryinto Aboriginal Economic Development in March 2017. Further information about theNSW Government’s commitment to Aboriginal economic participation will bereleased then.

Evidence of OCHRE’s success is being gathered systematically through anindependent and ethical evaluation. The increased participation in all the majorinitiatives over the past year shows Aboriginal people are optimistic about theopportunity OCHRE provides to improve their lives and communities.

I would like to thank the chairpersons of the Aboriginal regional alliances, who havebeen extremely generous in guiding and supporting our efforts to change therelationship between government and Aboriginal communities. Thanks also to mygovernment colleagues who have embraced the fundamental tenets of OCHRE –local priorities, local solutions, local accountability. And to my Aboriginal Affairs team,thank you for your extraordinary passion, dedication and good humour. We have along way to go before we achieve parity across a range of social and economicindicators, but OCHRE puts us on the right path towards that vision for NSW.

– Jason ArdlerHead of Aboriginal Affairs

ochre: three years on

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MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS

Aunty Jean Hands, a Kamilaroi woman, is the Chairperson of theNorthern regional Aboriginal Alliance

“My vision and hope for my local decision making area would be that we canreach higher levels within government, get more funding for our areas, andthat’s for the whole lot of them... We have five priorities that the Aboriginalcommunity have told us that they would like to see things done in, so I wouldlove to see more money and more resources go into the priorities that thecommunity have selected... and I think they’re probably the main things forme ... health and justice.”

ochre: three years on

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THE VOICES AND STORIES OF THE REGIONAL ALLIANCE CHAIRS

Our NSW Aboriginal leaders have generouslyshared their wisdom and experiences as the Chairsof the Aboriginal Regional Assemblies and Alliancesin NSW. What they have to say serves to remind usthat we all share the same goal – for Aboriginalpeople in NSW to be healthy, prosperous anddetermining their own futures.

You can hear about their proudest moments,dreams for local decision making in their region,what good ways of doing business look like, andtheir experiences and lessons learnt here.

Sam Jeffries, a Murrawarri man, is the outgoing Chairperson of theMurdi Paaki Regional Assembly

“[Aboriginal people having a greater say about government services andprograms] is my real pet of things to do and things to pursue and my passionabout this is to look at how we can, Blackfellers can, be part of the wholedecision-making process that impacts on our lives. In my experiences atATSIC and then in the [Murdi Paaki] Regional Assembly, the people havealways said that we want to make sure that we are part of thedecision-making process, where we influence it, whether we’re making thosedecisions ourselves, that we are providing the advice for those decisions tobe made. This is something we want to continue to be part of. We want tomake sure that decisions that are being made are about our development,and there is nobody better placed than us to be making those decisions.”

ochre: three years on

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Michele Donovan, a Gumbaynggirr woman, is the Chairperson ofTribal Wave Regional Assembly

“[My hope is] in the very close future ... to work together as a community toactually achieve Accord ... and everyone ... will see the [Tribal Wave RegionalAssembly] brand and say, ‘Oh yeah, that’s them’... So that everyoneunderstands, even the non-Aboriginal people, and say, ‘Wow, look at whatthey’ve done with this. The Aboriginal community’s got up and they made thishappen.’ If we can make this work right across the state ... other states canlook at this and say, ‘Well, we can take that and use it in our communities.’ Ifwe can be a role model and do that for other communities, help othercommunities across Australia, I think that would be fantastic.”

Ruth Dacey-Davys, a Wiradjuri women, is the Chairperson of theRiverina Murray Regional Alliance

“[This is only our second year.] The proud moments are when people startcontacting you – when you’re not actually saying, ‘Hey I’m Riverina Murray, Iwant to talk with you about this’ – the organisations are coming to you andsaying, ‘I want to get a spot on your agenda.’ That’s pretty exciting stuff... Weare getting these phone calls come in and people say, ‘We want to talk withyou about this program.’ ‘We want RMRA’s (Riverina Murray RegionalAlliance) advice on this.’ Or, ‘We want you to endorse this,’”

Brett Tibbett, a Gumbaynggirr man, is the Chairperson of the North Coast Regional Aboriginal Development Alliance

“You [government] have to be honest. There’s got to be a relationship that’sformed at local community. It can’t be a relationship that is three days a weekand two days a week you forget about that relationship. It’s got to be aseven-day-a-week relationship where people know each other and they knowthe ground they are standing on is solid. It’s not about raising expectationsand pulling rugs out from people and expecting people to get back off theground again because that’s the way you think things should go. Realise thatthis is about humanity, it’s about people, it’s about families. When you gohome at night time, have a look at your family. That’s what we do: we gohome and look at our families… We have come through the dispossession,through the massacres of our people, and we are trying to get a groundingwith government where we can move forward. So, I think working withintegrity, honesty and being transparent and basically being fair dinkum withthe people they are working with. The other thing I would say on this processis that they [all governments] have to go the distance on this one… Peopleare really starting to notice the advantages of LDM.”

History

The Ministerial Taskforce on Aboriginal Affairs (theTaskforce) was established by the NSW Governmentin late 2011 to inform a new plan – OCHRE – toimprove education and employment outcomes forAboriginal people in NSW and to enhance serviceaccountability to support these goals.

Extensive consultations with Aboriginalcommunities, stakeholders and industry gave some2,700 people the opportunity to contribute to theTaskforce’s work.

OCHRE was released by the NSW Government on 5 April 2013 at which time implementation began.OCHRE: Three years on reports on activities from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016 and takes stock ofprogress to date.

The OCHRE plan and previous annual reports canbe found at www.aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au.

Aims

OCHRE aims to support strong Aboriginalcommunities in which Aboriginal people activelyinfluence and participate fully in social, economicand cultural life. To achieve this, we need to:

• teach more Aboriginal languages and culture tobuild people’s pride and identity

• support more Aboriginal students to stay atschool

• support more Aboriginal young people to getfulfilling and sustainable jobs

• grow local Aboriginal leaders’ and communities’capacity to drive their own solutions

• focus on creating opportunities for economicempowerment

• make both Government and communities moreaccountable for the money they spend.

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ABOUT OCHRE

ochre: three years on

Key initiatives

Staying accountable

• A robust accountability framework includesindependent monitoring and assessment, programevaluation and a commitment to working withAboriginal communities to set the measures ofsuccess – as well as regular public reporting onprogress and lessons learnt. Public servants areencouraged to broker solutions – that is, take acreative approach to solving problems that mayotherwise fall between the cracks.

Local languages, local cultures

• Five Aboriginal Language and Culture Nestsaddress the loss of Aboriginal languages andculture and the resulting impact on the wellbeing ofAboriginal peoples in NSW through the teaching oflanguages in public schools. An AboriginalLanguage and Culture Nest is a local network ofcommunities bound together by an Aboriginallanguage.

Supporting Aboriginal students to succeed

• Four Opportunity Hubs provide personalisedsupport for Aboriginal young people, particularlythose at risk of leaving school. By working with thecommunity, businesses and other stakeholders,Opportunity Hubs match the needs of individuals tothe local services, agencies or mentors best placedto help them. The Hubs are run by experiencedorganisations with strong links to Aboriginalcommunity organisations, local businesses,regional industries and services.

• Fifteen Connected Communities schools in elevenrural and remote communities put local schools atthe heart of the community. By using schools ascommunity hubs to provide support from birth intoearly childhood, across the school years and oninto further training and employment, theConnected Communities strategy works inpartnership with local Aboriginal leaders andcommunities to improve educational outcomes andopportunities for young Aboriginal people.

Growing jobs and economic opportunities

• The NSW Aboriginal Economic ProsperityFramework (AEPF) is a suite of integratedcommitments to support participation by Aboriginalpeople in the NSW economy. The AEPF bringstogether interconnected actions in the areas ofeducation, training, employment, housing, businessdevelopment and land rights.

• The NSW Government and industry partners areworking together through Industry-BasedAgreements (IBAs) to identify and develop morejobs and business opportunities for Aboriginalpeople and are supporting Aboriginal people tostay engaged in private sector jobs over the longterm.

• Changes to land rights legislation, through theAboriginal Land Rights Amendments Act (2014),not only make the land claims process faster, moreflexible and more efficient but help deliver social,economic and cultural benefits.

Local communities, local initiatives

• Local Decision Making transforms the way theNSW Government does business with Aboriginalcommunities by opening the books to Aboriginalpeople to show what we are doing and what weare spending. Seven regional alliances representcommunities within their area and negotiate withthe NSW Government on issues of mutual interestand priority.

Healing

• By acknowledging that healing andintergenerational trauma and loss are real,significant and ongoing issues for Aboriginalpeople, OCHRE initiatives advance the dialogueacross NSW to promote healing.

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• Interim evaluation of ConnectedCommunities strategy completed andpublished

• Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC), UNSW Australia, engaged

• Ethics approval from the Aboriginal Healthand Medical Research Council EthicsCommittee secured

• Literature review to inform the methodologypublished

• Evaluation plan completed and published

• On-line resources and a regional modelestablished to support Aboriginalcommunity participation

• 96 schools engaged with a Hub, up from 95*

• 1,690 students connected to a Hub, up from 1,102*

• Personal Learning Plans developed for 584 students,linked to Career Plans, up from 363*

• 236 employment and training opportunities banked withthe Hubs, up from 120*

• 73% of school leavers transitioned to further study oremployment, up from 65%*

• 60 pre-schools, primary and secondary schools engaged inthe Aboriginal Language and Culture Nests, up from 35*

• $156,759 granted in 2016 under Our languages, our way tosupport 6 projects

• $197,349 granted in 2016 to 136 organisations to supportNAIDOC Week cultural events and activities

• 5,166 students learning an Aboriginal language, up from 3,679

• Aboriginal Economic Prosperity Frameworkfinalised

• Regional Industry-Based Agreements modeldeveloped

• Negotiation framework for Aboriginal LandAgreements released

• Establishment of an Aboriginal Centre forExcellence in Western Sydney progressing

• $94.1 million spent by the NSWgovernment on products andservices provided by Aboriginalbusinesses since the release ofOCHRE in April 2013

• 8,411 employees in the public sector identified as Aboriginal,some 3% of the total workforce

• 83 graduates from the Aboriginal Career and LeadershipDevelopment program, up from 44*

• 1 Aboriginal senior executive officer participating in theLeadership Academy Program for Deputy Secretaries

• Expression of Interest releasedinviting Aboriginal communities tohost 6 OCHRE Healing Forums

• 7 regional alliances operating to representthe interests of their communities

• 1 emerging regional governance structurebeing supported

• 1 Accord signed that directs Governmentand community effort on agreed prioritiesfor the Murdi Paaki region

• Three Rivers Regional Assembly andIllawarra Wingecarribee Alliance AboriginalCorporation assessed as ready tonegotiate an Accord

Building theevidence

Engaging Aboriginal students, schools and employers via Opportunity Hubs

Strengthening Aboriginallanguages and culture

Supporting Aboriginal students to succeed at school

Boosting NSWGovernment spending onAboriginal businesses Empowering

Aboriginal communitiesto make decisions locally

Building opportunities for Aboriginal people in the public sector

Promoting Aboriginaleconomic prosperity

Talking about healing

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OUR ACHIEVEMENTS

ochre: three years on

* information reported in OCHRE: Two years on

ochre: three years on

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R E S P E C T F U LJ O U R N E Y

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MEASURING SUCCESS – OUR JOURNEY

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WHAT WE HAVE LEARNT

Moving beyond the rhetoric of partnership

The word “partnership” is heard in manyconversations and appears in many documentsconcerned with public policy. It’s a good word – itrecognises that alone, governments cannot achievepositive outcomes for communities; it recognisesthat Aboriginal communities have a role to play in thedesign, implementation and evaluation of publicpolicy.

However, when paid senior officials sit down withvolunteer community representatives to negotiatecomplex issues, an obvious imbalance of poweremerges and a partnership can be reduced to littlemore than rhetoric. An evaluation of the negotiationsthat led to the signing of the Accord between theMurdi Paaki Regional Assembly and the NSWGovernment in 2015 highlighted this issue. A copy ofthe evaluation report can be found here.

Our observations in our day-to-day work with bothpublic servants and community representativesconfirm this significant and continuing powerimbalance. Consequently, Aboriginal Affairscontinues to invest in and support capacity buildingfor both Aboriginal community leaders and publicservants working within OCHRE’s frameworks.OCHRE commits the public sector to changing theway it interacts with Aboriginal communities bytreating Aboriginal people not merely as consumersof services, but as citizens with valued social,economic and cultural aspirations.

Regional and localised approaches

As Aboriginal communities have told us that regionaland localised approaches work best, we havecontinued our “learning by doing” approach. In thearea of economic development, the NSW Governmentwill introduce regional Industry-Based Agreements –currently, Industry Based Agreements are onlystate-wide. As part of OCHRE’s commitment toensuring decision making truly rests in the hands ofAboriginal communities, these regional Industry-BasedAgreements will be included initially in Accordnegotiations for the Three Rivers Regional Assembly(Central West) and the Illawarra-WingecarribeeAboriginal Corporation (South Coast).

ochre: three years on

Developing a shared language

In our conversations with Aboriginal communities, wehave learnt that the word “evaluation” is oftenassociated with past negative experiences and seenas a means of disrupting and defunding services toAboriginal people. We understand this perception candiscourage Aboriginal people from participating in ourevaluation of OCHRE. We needed new neutralterminology to break from the past. With support fromAboriginal Affairs staff working in the regions wedeveloped the phrase continuing conversations. Thiswas done in recognition of past hurts and of thecommitment we gave, after the Ministerial Taskforceon Aboriginal Affairs had completed its work, tocontinue a respectful dialogue with Aboriginalcommunities as part of our implementation of OCHRE.

What the literature doesn’t tell you

There is a significant body of published literature onAboriginal communities. However, it sheds little lighton the practical application of the principles that guideethical policies and practices. We have taken time towork through the practical day-to-day complexitiesthat arise. This has sometimes meant slowing downthe pace of our work to ensure we respect and abideby Aboriginal community protocols. As a result, wehave had to remain focused in the face of criticismfrom others for not moving quickly enough.

A good example is the need to seek permission fromAboriginal communities to have the conversationsrequired for the evaluation. Aboriginal leadership andcommunity structures are varied and there isn’t alwaysan obvious person or group to go to. Sometimes wehave had to meet with multiple people andorganisations to properly pay our respects and followprotocol. While this takes time, it is vital to our ethicalapproach.

The multiple roles of Aboriginal public servants

Aboriginal Affairs staff in regional offices are chargedwith building the capacity of local Aboriginalcommunities to ensure they can fully participate in anddrive the evaluation of OCHRE. This poses challengesfor Aboriginal public servants who play multiple roles.On the one hand, Aboriginal public servants workingwith Aboriginal Affairs need to promote the evaluationof OCHRE and support communities to becomeactively involved. On the other hand, they need to

remain independent from the evaluation process andnot influence that process. In addition, our Aboriginalstaff are not only public servants but also activemembers of their own communities. We are nowexploring these complexities and will publish theresults in the future.

Living in today’s Australia

While OCHRE targets Aboriginal people, we live in asociety in which Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peopleinteract every day through family connections,friendships, associations in the work place and, foryoung people, in their schools. Although OpportunityHubs aim to support Aboriginal students, thenon-government partners working to deliverOpportunity Hubs have had to consider theimportance of a young person’s peer group. Ratherthan taking a rigid approach that excludes thenon-Aboriginal peers of an Aboriginal student, Hubproviders are taking an inclusive approach when theyhave the resources to do so.

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OCHRE: THREE YEARS ONREPORTING BY INITIATIVE

ochre: three years on

The implementation of OCHRE is underpinned by arobust accountability framework that includesindependent monitoring and assessment, regularpublic reporting and an approach to evaluation thathas Aboriginal communities setting the measures ofsuccess.

Solution Brokerage requires NSW Governmentagencies to work with each other, and to collaboratewith NGOs, to find practical solutions to issues thatmight otherwise fall between the cracks. This includesissues that no agency has a clear mandate to resolve,that have whole-of-government implications, or thathave been identified for attention by Secretaries – theheads of NSW Government agencies.

Independent oversight

OCHRE Project Managers provide information to theDeputy Ombudsman (Aboriginal Programs) whoindependently monitors and assesses OCHRE.Information about the work of the DeputyOmbudsman can be found here.

Evaluation

Lead agency

Aboriginal Affairs. Further information about theevaluation of OCHRE can be found here.

Key achievements

• UNSW Australia’s Social Policy Research Centre(SPRC) engaged in December 2015 to undertakethe 10-year evaluation of Aboriginal Language andCulture Nests, Industry-Based Agreements, LocalDecision Making and Opportunity Hubs.

• Communication and information resourcesproduced to support Aboriginal communities toparticipate in the evaluation. A dedicated area ofthe Aboriginal Affairs website created to providecommunities with all available information about theOCHRE evaluation, including demographic profilesfor all OCHRE initiatives.

• A regional model resourced and implemented thatsupports local Aboriginal people to participate in

and drive the evaluation in their communities.Expertise of the agency’s regional staff developed tosupport the participation of local Aboriginal people.

• Meeting convened between UNSW’s SPRC teamand local Aboriginal leaders to explain theevaluation and to obtain their permission tocontinue the conversation about the project in theirarea; process assisted by regional staff fromAboriginal Affairs.

• Approval from the Aboriginal Health and MedicalResearch Council Ethics Committee secured toundertake the evaluation.

• Literature review completed to inform the OCHREevaluation methodology.

• Plan for the OCHRE evaluation completed.

• Research commissioned from Black SwanConsulting to better understand the challenges forAboriginal staff in building Aboriginal communitycapacity and confidence to participate in theevaluation.

• OCHRE evaluation Steering Committee constitutedto provide independent and expert advice toAboriginal Affairs.

Solution Brokerage

Lead Agency

Under the Premier’s Memorandum 2015-02 – SolutionBrokerage, administrative power is vested in the Headof Aboriginal Affairs to “declare” an issue for solutionbrokerage. Once an issue for solution brokerage hasbeen declared, an Officer In Charge is appointed tomanage the development and implementation of aresponse plan within six months.

Solution Brokerage incorporates a three-tieredapproach that enables response plans to beindividually tailored to match the complexity and scaleof a particular issue. Tier One is activated for local orcommunity-specific issues, Tier Two for more complexlocal or regional issues and Tier Three for major policyreform, including state-wide issues.

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STAYING ACCOUNTABLE

ochre: three years on

Information about Solution Brokerage can be foundhere.

Key achievements

Early childhood service delivery model in the MurdiPaaki region, far west

• In accordance with the Accord between the NSWGovernment and the Murdi Paaki RegionalAssembly, the development of an integrated andsustainable early childhood service delivery modelfor the region was declared a Tier Two issue in April2015. The Officer In Charge is a Program Managerin Aboriginal Affairs. In December 2015 the processwas paused to reassess the approach being taken,including the resources required. In May 2016 theproject was restarted under the co-leadership of theEarly Childhood and Education Care Directorate inNSW Department of Education and AboriginalAffairs to overcome the issues of expertise,resources and accountability faced in 2015.

Economic development with the Eden LocalAboriginal Land Council, far south coast

• Resolution of the long-standing issues for the EdenLocal Aboriginal Land Council stemming from the1999 Eden Regional Forest Agreement wasdeclared a Tier Two issue in July 2015. Thoseissues include aspects of the management ofpublic lands, economic development opportunitiesand access to natural resources for culturalpurposes. A Director from Aboriginal Affairs wasappointed as the Officer in Charge. When thesix-month mandated period was reached inJanuary 2016 all parties agreed:

o Negotiations would continue beyond the allottedsix months and the project team would considerhow best to activate or redirect existing agencyresources to align with the aspirations of theEden Local Aboriginal Land Council

o The Department of Primary Industries wouldstart negotiations with the Eden Local AboriginalLand Council for the first Aboriginal LandAgreement under Section 36AA of the NSWAboriginal Land Rights Act 1983. Thenegotiations set priorities for determining newand existing land claims according to theeconomic aspirations of Eden Local AboriginalLand Council

o The Department of Planning and Environmentwould assist the Eden Local Aboriginal LandCouncil to make strategic decisionssystematically about developing its land assets

o The Office of Environment and Heritage wouldwork with the Eden Local Aboriginal LandCouncil to provide access to areas of nationalparks for cultural tourism.

Coordination of land-use planning and municipalinfrastructure, 59 discrete communities

• The development of a coordinated response toland-use planning and municipal infrastructureissues on Aboriginal lands across NSW wasdeclared a Tier Three issue (i.e. a major policyreform integration) in September 2015. A DeputySecretary in the Department of Planning andEnvironment was appointed as the Officer InCharge. The Aboriginal Community Land andInfrastructure Project (ACLIP), aims to:

o regularise planning and infrastructureadministration in 59 discrete Aboriginalcommunities located on former missions andreserves

o facilitate greater economic, community andcultural use, by Local Aboriginal Land Councils,of Aboriginal land acquired through theAboriginal Land Rights Act.

• Due to the extent of the issues and the number ofagencies involved, it was clear from early on thatsix months would not be enough time for theproject. NSW and Commonwealth agencies agreedjointly on priorities. Options are being prepared tosupport the provision of infrastructure upgrades inthe 59 communities, and to guide land useplanning decisions on Aboriginal community lots.

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LOCAL LANGUAGES, LOCAL CULTURES

ochre: three years on

Five Aboriginal Language and Culture Nests address the loss of Aboriginal languages and culture and the resulting impact on the wellbeing of Aboriginal peoples in NSW through the teaching of languages in public schools. An AboriginalLanguage and Culture Nest is a local network ofcommunities bound together by their connection to an Aboriginal language.

Aboriginal Language and Culture Nests

Lead agency

Aboriginal Education and Community Engagement,Department of Education. Further information aboutthe Nests can be found here.

Key achievements

• The NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative GroupInc. (NSW AECG) engaged to ensure each Nesthas its own Aboriginal Language and CultureAdviser/s to assist communities, includingestablishing community-endorsed Keeping Places.A Keeping Place can be either physical and/orvirtual. Its purpose is to protect and sustainAboriginal languages.

• Aboriginal community involvement in the Nestsincreased and formalised through theestablishment of local reference groups in eachNest site.

Monitoring data

From 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016:

• the number of pre-schools, primary and secondaryschools and school engaged in the AboriginalLanguage and Culture Nests increased from 35 to60

• the number of students now learning an Aboriginallanguage increased from 3,679 to 5,166

• 50 tutors and teachers delivered language lessons.

Complementing OCHRE

Key achievements

The NSW Government also strengthens locallanguages and local cultures by:

• funding NAIDOC Week events across NSW –$197,349 granted in 2015-2016 to 136organisations to support cultural events andactivities. The NSW Premier launched NAIDOCWeek in Parramatta.

• funding language revitalisation – $156,759 grantedin 2015-2016 under the Our Languages, Our Wayprogram to six projects to support the revitalisationof Aboriginal languages, including the developmentof language apps, a language dictionary andlanguages taught on Country by Aboriginal Elders.

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Opportunity Hubs

Opportunity Hubs are providing young Aboriginalpeople with clear pathways and incentives to stay atschool and transition into employment, training orfurther education. Opportunity Hub providers workwith young Aboriginal people, families andcommunities to help build expectations for success.There are four providers: MTC Australia inCampbelltown; TAFE Western in Dubbo; TamworthLocal Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) in Tamworth;and Aboriginal Employment Strategy in the UpperHunter.

Lead agency

Training Services NSW, Department of Industry.Further information about Opportunity Hubs can befound here.

Key achievements

• All Hubs continued to expand services within theirregion.

• Relationships with industry bodies, employers andeducation and training organisations strengthenedto deliver career education, work experience andfurther study and job opportunities.

• Relationships with Commonwealth-fundedVocational Training and Education Centres (VTECs)strengthened, supporting school leavers enteringtraining and guaranteed jobs.

• Partnership established with the Australian Army tostrengthen career education, work experience andcareer opportunities for Aboriginal students.

• Consortium partnerships with non-governmentproviders delivered essential wrap-around andadditional value-adding services for young peopleparticipating in the Hubs.

Monitoring data

From 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016:

• 1,690 students participated in one of the fourOpportunity Hubs

• 96 government and non-government schoolsengaged in four Hubs

• the number of Year 9-12 students engaged withcareer plans linked to their Personal Learning Plansincreased by 60% from 363 to 584

• 73% of school leavers who participated in the Hubstransitioned to further study or employment

• 236 job and training opportunities were bankedwith the four Hubs

• in 2015, 29 students attended the ArmyExperience First Look program in Canberra.

The Connected Communities strategy

Connected Communities schools are working inpartnership with local Aboriginal leaders and thecommunity to improve educational outcomes forAboriginal students and all students. ConnectedCommunities puts schools at the heart of thecommunity by positioning them as hubs to facilitatesupport from birth into early childhood, across theschool years and beyond into further training andemployment.

Lead agency

Aboriginal Education and Community Engagement,NSW Department of Education. Further informationabout Connected Communities can be found here.

Key achievements

• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics(STEM) camps delivered in collaboration with theNSW AECG Inc. and Dr Chris Matthews, Chair ofthe Aboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderMathematics Alliance. The camps are designed toencourage greater participation in STEM subjects. �

• The Healing and Wellbeing model implemented toassist all Connected Communities schools toaddress current and historic oppression andtrauma experienced in their communities. Theinitiative includes providing an opportunity forAboriginal community members to participate intraining in youth work.

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PUTTING SCHOOLS AT THE HEART OF OUR COMMUNITIES

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• Aboriginal cultural education programs andAboriginal language lessons delivered by Eldersand community-based language tutors. Theprograms are supported by local AECGs.

• Connecting to Country cultural immersion programdelivered to all schools by local AECGs.

• Agreement established with the NSW AECG todeliver the Healthy culture: healthy country programto all schools.

The Government’s Local Schools, Local Decisionsreform is designed to empower individual schools todecide themselves how to respond to their ownstudents’ learning and support needs. The ResourceAllocation Model (RAM) has been developed to helpthem make these decisions. The RAM includes anequity loading for students from an Aboriginalbackground – that is, extra funding is allocated toNSW public schools to meet the additional learningneeds of Aboriginal students. Every NSW publicschool at which Aboriginal students are enrolledreceives this funding. The annual funding allocated toschools under the RAM equity loading for Aboriginalstudents is as follows.

2014: $48 million for 49,000 students

2015: $49.5 million for 52,000 students

2016: $50 million for 55,000 students

2017: $72 million for 57,000 students.

Funds under the Aboriginal equity loading are providedto schools to ensure Aboriginal student educationaloutcomes match or surpass those of the broaderstudent population. In addition, these funds may beused to ensure that all teachers are culturallycompetent and schools culturally responsive. TheAboriginal Education Policy provides direction andguidance for the achievement of these objectives.Schools are obliged to ensure the Aboriginal equityloading is used to embed strategies that achieve theseobjectives. The three guiding elements of effectiveimplementation are: relationships, engagement andongoing learning. Aboriginal background equityfunding should be treated as a component of thewhole school budget when addressing the needs ofAboriginal �students, and not considered as separateor the only source of funds.

Monitoring data

In February 2016, the Centre for Education Statisticsand Evaluation (CESE) released an interim evaluationof progress at the midpoint of the strategy. The fullreport can be accessed here.

The evaluation found that:

• there is a greater focus on Aboriginal language andculture in Connected Communities schools

• all primary and central schools have introducedprograms to increase Kindergarten enrolments andsupport young children to transition to school

• all 15 schools have established local schoolreference groups, led by the local AECG chair andcomprising community, parent and schoolrepresentatives

• Connected Communities schools are operating asservice hubs, establishing partnerships with localservices to meet the educational, health andwellbeing needs of their students. As a result, everystudent has had a health and dental check

• all secondary schools are running programs toencourage further learning or pathways toemployment programs

• extensive capital works programs have producedphysical improvements to schools.

The final evaluation report is due in 2018.

Growing NSW’S first economy - a frameworkto promote Aboriginal economic prosperity in NSW

In April 2016, the NSW Government along with allAustralian governments reaffirmed its commitment totaking action to increase the economic participation ofAboriginal peoples.

In NSW, activity to support the delivery of the Councilof Australian Governments (COAG) commitment isbeing coordinated under OCHRE. The NSWGovernment is committed to employing moreAboriginal people, using its purchasing power to driveAboriginal employment and business development inthe private and non-government sectors, andsupporting Aboriginal people to acquire the education,skills and economic agency necessary to participate inthe NSW economy and compete successfully for jobs.

To achieve these aims, Growing NSW’s first economy, aframework to promote Aboriginal economic prosperityin NSW has been developed. Growing NSW’s firsteconomy is not a stand-alone, Aboriginal-specificpolicy, but an integrated set of new and existingprograms which help Aboriginal people engageproductively with the mainstream economy. Theframework also supports the NSW Government’spriority to foster economic growth.

Unlike previous approaches, the framework does notprescribe specific programs or initiatives. Instead,departments will deliver the commitments to Aboriginalparticipation, and will report on their own performancemeasured against existing government targets,including those contained in Making it happen.

The implementation of the Growing NSW’s firsteconomy will be supervised under existingaccountability and governance arrangements. This willallow future opportunities for Aboriginal participation tobe identified early in the development of newgovernment initiatives.

Progress and achievements under the framework willbe reported in the OCHRE annual report from nextyear.

Lead Agency

Aboriginal Affairs.

Key achievements

• Growing NSW’s first economy has been finalised.

• Aboriginal economic prosperity is linked to broaderstate priorities for economic growth in NSW.

• NSW Government agencies and clusters haveagreed to targets that will contribute to the COAGtarget of halving the gap in employment outcomesfor Aboriginal people.

• A roundtable on Aboriginal economic developmentwas held to seek the views of Aboriginal andnon-Aboriginal business leaders.

• Extensive consultation has been undertaken acrossall NSW Government agencies and portfolios, ashas targeted consultation with key industrypartners.

Industry-Based Agreements

The NSW Government is forging partnerships withpeak industry bodies to support Aboriginalemployment and enterprise through Industry-BasedAgreements (IBAs). Through these agreements,industry sectors are working with the NSWGovernment and Aboriginal communities to identifyand develop sustainable jobs and businessopportunities for Aboriginal people and to supportAboriginal people to stay engaged in employment overthe long term.

Lead agency

Aboriginal Affairs. Further information about IndustryBased Agreements can be found here.

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GROWING JOBS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

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Key achievements

• Action plans implemented under the NSW MineralsCouncil, Master Builders Association of NSW andNSW Civil Contractors Federation IBAs.

• Research completed by the NSW Civil ContractorsFederation (CCF) into Aboriginal employment in thecivil construction and maintenance industry, whichincluded a survey of 100 civil constructioncompanies. The research will support thedevelopment of tools to help CCF members recruit,develop and retain Aboriginal staff in the civilconstruction industry. The CCF has also endorsedtwo pilot sites – South West Sydney and CentralWest NSW – to bring industry-ready Aboriginalemployees into the civil construction industry.

• Introduction by the NSW Government of regionalIBAs in two Local Decision Making regions –Illawarra-Wingecarribee (South Coast) and ThreeRivers Regional Assembly (Central West). IBAshave to date only been state-wide between theGovernment and peak industry bodies. Theseregional agreements will be negotiated as a part ofthe Local Decision Making accord process.

Aboriginal employment in the public sector

The NSW Public Service Commission is leading thepublic sector’s efforts to employ more Aboriginalpeople, improve retention, and to create morepathways into senior roles.

Lead agency

NSW Public Service Commission. Further informationabout the NSW Public Sector Aboriginal EmploymentStrategy can be found here.

Key achievements

• One Aboriginal Career and LeadershipDevelopment Program (ACLDP) delivered. Theprogram contributes to the Premier’s priority todouble the number of Aboriginal senior leaders inthe NSW public sector by 2025 by providing apipeline of Aboriginal leadership talent to fillmanagement positions.

• Seven regional networking and developmentevents for Aboriginal staff hosted with some 250Aboriginal public-sector employees attending. Theaim of these events is to strengthen staff retention

by building supportive professional networksacross the sector. The events also provided anopportunity for the Public Service Commission tointroduce its NSW Public Sector AboriginalEmployment Strategy and to discuss the Premier’spriorities on driving public sector diversity.

• A desktop review completed and three focus-groupdiscussions held with members of the AboriginalWorkforce Development Community of Practice toinvestigate how Aboriginal cultural competencytraining is delivered in the public sector.

Monitoring data

From 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016:

• the NSW Public Service Commission monitoringperiod began with 8,411 employees havingidentified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanderduring the previous 12 months (Source: 2015Workforce Profile).

• 20 participants completed the Aboriginal Careerand Leadership Development Program. A total of64 participants have graduated since the programbegan in 2014.

• one Aboriginal senior executive officer commencedthe Leadership Academy Program for DeputySecretaries.

Complementing OCHRE

Key achievements

The NSW Government also supports Aboriginaleconomic prosperity through:

• the release of a framework to assist the negotiationof Aboriginal Land Agreements (ALAs) between theNSW Government and local Aboriginal land councils.Implemented by the Department of Industry (CrownLands), ALAs will speed up the settlement of claimsby allowing several claims to be settled together

• the strengthening of the governance capacity oflocal Aboriginal land councils through amendmentsto the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 whichcommenced on 1 July 2015. The amendments(Aboriginal Land Rights Amendment Act 2014) areintended to improve land councils’ performance bybuilding capacity and allowing subtle interventionsshould governance problems emerge, rather thanusing a resource-intensive punitive approach.

ochre: three years on

• the delivery of water supply and sewerage servicesto Aboriginal communities under the AboriginalCommunities Water and Sewerage Program. Areview of the program has found it is achieving itsaims of delivering water supply and sewerageservices to a standard equivalent to those incomparable non-Aboriginal communities.

• establishing a Western Sydney Aboriginal Centrefor Excellence (ACE). The ACE aims to provideAboriginal young people of the region with the skillsand expertise to be competitive in thecontemporary labour market, and will partner withindustry groups and local employers to ensuretraining matches labour market needs andopportunities.

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Local Decision Making

Local Decision Making (LDM) is transforming the wayAboriginal communities and government worktogether by giving Aboriginal communities aprogressively bigger say in what services are deliveredin their communities and how they are delivered. Theinitiative marks a significant departure from pastpractices and opens the books to Aboriginal people.

Through LDM, communities are progressivelydelegated increased decision-making powers as theircapacity is proven and agreed conditions are met.Government service delivery will be directed throughbinding agreements between Aboriginal regionalalliances and government (called Accords) that outlinehow priorities will be addressed.

Lead agency

Aboriginal Affairs. Further information about LocalDecision Making can be found here.

Key achievements

• Seven regional alliances funded to build andstrengthen their governance capacity in July 2016.The Regional Aboriginal Development Alliance splitinto two regional alliances due to the size andcomplexity of the areas it covers.

• Further negotiations conducted between the MurdiPaaki Regional Assembly and the NSWGovernment to amend the existing Accord toinclude plans to improve the quality and supply ofhousing and to streamline the management oftenancies.

• Accord negotiations commenced between theThree Rivers Regional Assembly (Central West) andthe NSW Government. Priorities include affordablehousing, health, education and economicdevelopment.

• Preparations complete for commencement ofAccord negotiations between theIllawarra-Wingecarribee Aboriginal Corporation(South Coast) and the NSW Government.

• Work conducted with the regional alliances andgovernment stakeholders in the four remainingLDM sites across NSW – Regional AboriginalDevelopment Alliance - North (North Coast), TribalWave Assembly (North Coast), Barang AboriginalRegional Partnership (Central Coast) and NorthernRegion Aboriginal Alliance (New England NorthWest) – to prepare for Accord negotiations.Regional alliances and NSW Government agenciesmust show they are ready in areas includingleadership and decision-making capability beforenegotiations can commence.

• A framework developed to support partnershipsand cross-cultural collaboration between regionalalliances and the NSW Government, including toolsto track the strength of the arrangements.

• Good Governance Guidelines strengthened further,and a review of the guidelines commenced,supporting good governance for participatingregional alliances and NSW Government agencies.

• Outcomes from evaluating the Murdi Paaki Accordnegotiations incorporated into the Local DecisionMaking Policy and Operational Framework and theAccord Process document for Local DecisionMaking.

• Arrangements progressed for the first LocalDecision Making Partnership and CollaborationConference to be held in November 2016.

Monitoring data

• 7 regional alliances supported under Local DecisionMaking.

• 1 Accord signed with the NSW Government.

• 15 NSW Government agencies participating inimplementing the Accord.

• 5 priorities appear in the Accord – housing,economic development, education, early childhood,governance and capacity – with 93 deliverables.

• Work on all priorities commenced. Commitmentsunder early childhood and governance andcapacity progressing well.

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LOCAL COMMUNITIES, LOCAL INITIATIVES

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• 2 regional alliances assessed as ready to beginAccord negotiations with the NSW Government.

• The Three Rivers Regional Assembly participated inpre-Accord workshops with five NSW Governmentagencies.

• The Illawarra Wingecarribee Alliance AboriginalCorporation working with the NSW Government toplan for Accord negotiations.

Complementing OCHRE

Key achievements

The NSW Government also supports Aboriginalcommunity governance by:

• continuing to work with Community WorkingParties across NSW

• providing financial and in-kind support for the newlyestablished Riverina Murray Regional Alliance(South Western NSW).

Strengthening the capacity of Aboriginal NGOs

The NSW Department of Family and CommunityServices (FaCS) is strengthening the capacity ofAboriginal non-government organisations (NGOs) totake up leadership roles across a wide range ofrelevant sectors and to progressively take charge ofmore decisions, programs and activities.

The Aboriginal Child, Family and Community CareState Secretariat NSW (AbSec) and FaCS are workingtogether to build the capacity of Aboriginal NGOs toprovide out-of-home care services to Aboriginalchildren and young people. A co-design approach hasbeen agreed with AbSec to effectively engage theAboriginal NGO sector.

The FaCS Aboriginal Sector Capacity Building Projectfor the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)has focused on increasing the number of AboriginalNGOs with the capacity to deliver disability services.

Lead agency

NSW Department for Family and Community Services

Key achievements

• Capacity-building work continued to supportAboriginal NGOs to provide more out-of-home careservices to Aboriginal children and young people.Some 3,500 Aboriginal children and young peopleare to be brought into the care of Aboriginal NGOs.The services have been co-designed to reflect theimportance of keeping children connected to family,community, culture and Country and to embedAboriginal voices and perspectives in policy andpractice.

• Information and capacity-building resourcesdeveloped by AbSec to support Aboriginal NGOsto enter the disability market in NSW in preparationfor the roll-out of the NDIS.

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OCHRE is the first government plan in Australia toacknowledge formally that healing andintergenerational trauma and loss are real,significant and ongoing issues for Aboriginal peopleand communities. While all OCHRE initiativesadvance the dialogue in NSW about healing,specific healing initiatives are providing newopportunities to open up positive discussions.

Lead agency

Aboriginal Affairs. Further information about healinginitiatives can be found here.

Key achievements

• A formal partnership continued between AboriginalAffairs and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderHealing Foundation, the lead organisation inAustralia that develops and promotes knowledgeabout healing and works to connect Aboriginalpeople back to culture, philosophy and spirit.

• Two workshops held in February 2016 with keythinkers from Stolen Generations organisations,Aboriginal peak bodies and Aboriginal regionalalliances to discuss the complex and sensitiveissues associated with healing. Stakeholders at theworkshops provided advice about guidingprinciples and the approach to adopt in planningfor OCHRE Healing Forums.

• Aboriginal communities canvassed in June 2016for expressions of interest in hosting OCHREhealing forums. The forums aim to continue aconversation between government agencies andAboriginal communities about trauma-informedpolicy and service-delivery approaches and to workout a role for government in supporting healing. Inselected sites local planning committees will beformed for communities to co-design theimplementation and organisation of the forums inpartnership with Aboriginal Affairs and the HealingFoundation.

Complementing OCHRE

Key achievements

The NSW Government also supports members of theStolen Generations by:

• supporting Stolen Generations organisations inadvancing healing and education. The KinchelaBoys’ Home Aboriginal Corporation and the CootaGirls Corporation are receiving financial and in-kindsupport for their work with survivors and healing.Aboriginal Affairs is also working to support therecently formed Bomaderry Children’s HomeAboriginal Corporation

• working closely with Stolen Generations survivorsand their organisations to develop the NSWGovernment’s response to the General PurposeStanding Committee 3 report into reparations forStolen Generations tabled on 23 June 2016. At thetabling of the report, the Minister for AboriginalAffairs gave a personal apology to the StolenGenerations for past government practices thathave had a profound effect on Aboriginal people

• acting as the primary support to the five families ofthe children murdered in Bowraville. AboriginalAffairs continues to support the families to navigatethe legal system and the multiple NSWGovernment agencies involved in implementing therecommendations of the 2013 parliamentaryinquiry.

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PROMOTING HEALING

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To stay accountable, we will:

• determine with local Aboriginal communities thekey measures of success for each project andhow best to measure them

• commence collecting data on the implementationof each OCHRE project

• share the knowledge and wisdom gained inundertaking evaluations

• enhance governance and reporting arrangementsfor Solution Brokerage and prepare forevaluation.

To strengthen Aboriginal languages and cultures,we will:

• continue to develop operational guidelines forimplementing Language and Culture Nests

• continue to collaborate with local referencegroups, schools and teachers to determine thedirection of Nests

• support the functions and operations of aKeeping Place for each Nest, in collaborationwith the NSW AECG.

To support Aboriginal students to succeed, we will:

Opportunity Hubs

• deepen engagement, collaboration andpartnerships with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginalorganisations including industry bodies,employers, education, training and employmentorganisations to expand career education andsupported pathways to sustainable jobs

• continue to build and expand the aspirations ofAboriginal students in the primary school years

• supply more Year 9 to 12 students with currentcareer plans linked to personal learning pathways

• track school leavers more effectively to ensurethey are assisted to make successful transitionsto post-school education, training or jobs.

NEXT STEPS

ochre: three years on

Connected Communities

• strengthen schools as facilitators of service hubsthrough closer partnerships with local agencies

• continue to implement as planned the Healing andWellbeing model in schools at student, staff andcommunity level

• strengthen teachers’ capacity to teach a culturallyinclusive curriculum

• implement initiatives to improve student attendanceand engagement at school, including theestablishment of transition centres for studentswho are returning to their communities fromJuvenile Justice or who are chronic non-attenders.The transition centres will link with local services tosupport student health and wellbeing; and engagethe local Aboriginal community to work withstudents to build their connection to culture andCountry. Personalised learning using a range oflearning and teaching strategies will improvestudent engagement

• strengthen students’ transition into school throughearly-learning initiatives

• increase parent and community participation andengagement with schools

• increase support for school staff to personaliselearning for students, through the Healing andWellbeing initiative and the Healthy culture, healthycountry program in each school.

To grow jobs and economic opportunities, we will:

Economic development

• support the growth of Aboriginal businesses

• develop further opportunities to leverage the buyingpower of the NSW Government to:

º procure goods and services directly fromAboriginal businesses; and

º ensure that companies contracted togovernment employ more Aboriginal people andprocure from Aboriginal businesses

• develop Implementation Plans to deliver thecommitments under Growing NSW's firsteconomy, a framework to promote Aboriginaleconomic development

• ensure Growing NSW's first economy is embeddedwithin agency and department performancereporting

• ensure the AEPF is embedded within agency anddepartment performance reporting

• implement the Industry-Based Agreement forAboriginal Business Development and Support withthe NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce, anddevelop an action plan with key parties

• negotiate two regional Industry-Based Agreementsin the Illawarra Wingecarribee and Central West as apart of Local Decision Making Accord negotiations

• work in partnership with the NSW Civil ContractorsFederation to implement Industry EngagementStrategy pilot programs in South West Sydney andthe Central West

• continue to work with the Minerals Council andMaster Builders Association to deliver theobjectives of the Industry-Based Agreements.

Aboriginal employment in the public sector

• work with the Premier’s Implementation Unit and allClusters to deliver the Premier’s priority to doublethe number of Aboriginal senior leaders in the NSWpublic sector by 2025

• through the Aboriginal Employment andDevelopment Program provide an additional entrypoint into the NSW public sector at grade 3/4.Entrants will complete a diploma-level qualificationwhile working in a temporary capacity in oneagency. Once they have obtained their qualification,and subject to satisfactory performance,participants will move from temporary employmentinto a permanent role

• use the results of research into Aboriginal culturalawareness training to develop a high-levelframework for improving Aboriginal culturalcompetency in the public service

• continue regional networking events for Aboriginalstaff in the public service.

Procurement of goods and services from Aboriginalowned enterprises

• report on category 1 and category 2 projects underthe Aboriginal Participation in Construction policy. Acategory 1 project is a construction project that isprimarily directed towards one or more Aboriginal

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ochre: three years on

communities. A category 2 project is any otherconstruction project with an estimated value ofmore than $10 million. For the first time the NSWGovernment will be able to track the substantialamount of indirect expenditure with Aboriginalbusinesses as part of NSW Governmentinfrastructure projects. There are two types ofindirect expenditure. The first is expenditure bygovernment contractors with Aboriginal employeesand Aboriginal businesses. The second is apayment made by a government contractor to aproject that contributes directly towards theeducation and employment goals in OCHRE. (Up to50 per cent of the APIC expenditure for aconstruction project can be the second type ofindirect expenditure.)

Aboriginal Land Rights Act

• commence the five-yearly review of the Act

• introduce legislation to amend the Act to allow theNSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) to issuePerformance Improvement Orders to localAboriginal Land Councils (LALCs) and appointadvisors to assist LALCs in complying with theorders. These amendments will provide alternativesto the appointment of administrators when LALCsare not performing as expected and are in need ofassistance to meet their statutory obligations.

To promote local communities and local initiatives,we will:

• amend the Accord between the Murdi PaakiRegional Assembly and the NSW Government toimplement a social housing model

• negotiate and sign Accords between theIllawarra-Wingecarribee Alliance AboriginalCorporation (IWAAC) and the Three Rivers RegionalAssembly (TRRA)

• continue working with the remaining alliances toensure they are ready to commence Accordnegotiations in 2016-17 and 2017-18

• complete the review of Good GovernanceGuidelines and publish the updated guidelines toallow the assessment of Phase 2 and Phase 3readiness

• continue to update the Local Decision MakingPolicy and Operational Framework and the AccordProcess document to incorporate lessons learnt

• host the Local Decision Making Partnership andCollaboration Conference

• report the evaluation findings back to communitiesas soon as they are known.

To promote healing, we will:

• co-design six OCHRE Healing Forums withinterested Aboriginal communities, to advancedialogue and build an understanding withingovernment which supports Aboriginal healing.Discussion outcomes from the OCHRE HealingForums will inform ongoing relationships andcommitments formed between Aboriginalcommunities and government and non-governmentorganisations to support healing approaches

• use the evidence from OCHRE Healing Forums asthe basis for developing a healing-informed policyapproach across government.

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