Closing the Gap of Indigenous Disadvantage - Generational Plan of Action

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A Better Way of Doing Business

A better way of doing business is about Indigenous Territorians informing the Northern Territory Government of their aspirations and needs, the Northern Territory Government listening, and Territorians and the Northern Territory Government taking action together.

This relies upon formal structures for communication between communities and government, promoting a more positive dialogue. It also relies on Indigenous Territorians acting in partnership with government and meeting their responsibility to provide a better future for their children.

Over the next 5 years, the Northern Territory Government will:

Establish an Indigenous Affairs Advisory Council to the Chief Minister by October 2007 to provide advice on Indigenous affairs and to oversee the implementation of Closing the Gap, at a cost of $0.45m
Establish local community boards to allow community representation in local government, promote Indigenous leadership, and provide the basis for Indigenous people to meet their obligations to build a better future for their children, at an additional cost of $3m
Provide infrastructure to support local community governance, at a cost of $5m
Introduce the Local Government Amendment Bill into Legislative Assembly Sittings in
August 2007, to allow for transition to new local government arrangements
Introduce the Local Government Amendment Bill (2) and the revised Local Government Act in late 2007 to embed the new local government arrangements.

Culture

The Northern Territory benefits from an exceptionally rich cultural heritage. In order to protect and nurture this cultural heritage we need to actively promote the importance of cultural identity, improve cross-cultural understanding and engender mutual respect.

Over the next 5 years, the Northern Territory Government will:

Expand Indigenous culture programs in Northern Territory Government schools, at a cost of $0.5m
This will include:
- grants to schools to provide Indigenous culture programs
- expansion of the Wesley Lanhapuy Scholarship Program from 10 to 15 places to recruit and train more Indigenous teachers.
Implement cross-cultural programs in Northern Territory Public Sector
Implement a whole-of-government Indigenous communications strategy
Increase the use of interpreters when engaging with Aboriginal people for whom English is not their first language.

A Better Way of Doing Business / Culture Fact Sheet (PDF document, 560 kilobytes)