Is Australia meeting our Closing the Gap targets?

National Close the Gap Day is observed on the third Thursday of March, falling on March 16 this year.

It aims to raise awareness of  a range of  significant social and economic issues and barriers faced by First Nations – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, and is an opportunity to show support for the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (the Agreement).

Colonisation has caused ongoing trauma across generations of First Nations Australians.

There are First Nations Peoples living today who:

• Were denied an education
• Could not receive healthcare
• Did not have the right to vote
• Had children stolen from them
• Were not permitted in public places
• Are members of the Stolen Generations
• After the abolition of slavery had their wages stolen
• Were forced to work for colonial settlers and government agencies for no wages
• Contributed to the Australian economy and defence forces and were never acknowledged
• Were forcibly removed from their own Traditional Lands and detained in government Reservations.

The objective of the Closing the Gap framework is to enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and governments to work together to overcome the inequality experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and achieve life outcomes equal to all Australians.

The Agreement came into effect in July 2020 and sets out a 10-year framework. It identifies 17 socioeconomic outcomes important to the rights, wellbeing, and quality of life of First Nations Australians.

So, how are we doing so far? Is Closing the Gap working? We take a look at our progress here with some help from Aunty Deb, Lead Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement and Cultural Advisor at RAQ.

This article is informed by the Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report July 2022.

 

What are our Closing the Gap targets?

Health and wellbeing

1. Close the gap in life expectancy within a generation by 2031.
2. Increase the proportion of babies with a healthy birthweight to 91% by 2031.
3. Increase the proportion of children assessed as developmentally on track in all five domains of the Australian Early Development Census to 55% by 2031.
4. Reduce the rate of overrepresentation of First Nations children in out-of-home care by 45% by 2031.
5. Significant and sustained reduction in suicide of First Nations Peoples towards zero.

Beyond Blue’s ‘Invisible Discriminator’ campaign highlights the impact of racism on the social and emotional wellbeing of First Nations Peoples: The Invisible Discriminator – Beyond Blue

Education and Employment

1. Increase the proportion of children enrolled in Year Before Fulltime Schooling early childhood education to 95% by 2025.
2. Increase the proportion of people aged 20-24 years attaining year 12 or equivalent qualification to 96% by 2031.
3. Increase the proportion of people aged 25-34 years who have completed a tertiary qualification (Certificate III and above) to 70% by 2031.
4. Increase the proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) who are in employment, education or training to 67% by 2031.
5. Increase the proportion of people aged 25-64 years who are employed to 62% by 2031.

Justice

1. Reduce the rate of adults held in incarceration by at least 15% by 2031.
2. Reduce the rate of young people (aged 10-17 years) in detention by 30% by 2031.

Safety

1. Reduce the rate of all forms of family violence and abuse against First Nations women and children by at least 50% by 2031, as progress towards zero.

Housing

1. Increase the proportion of people living in appropriately sized (not overcrowded) housing to 88% by 2031.

Land and waters

15. First Nations Peoples maintain a distinctive cultural, spiritual, physical, and economic relationship with their land and waters.

• A 15% increase in Australia’s landmass subject to First Nations Peoples’ legal rights or interests by 2030.
• A 15% increase in areas covered by First Nations Peoples’ legal rights or interests in the sea by 2030.

Languages

16. There is a sustained increase in number and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages being spoken by 2031.

Digital inclusion

17. First Nations Peoples to have equal levels of digital inclusion by 2026.

 

What targets are on track?

It’s important to note that the targets provide limited information on progress at this stage. No new data are available since the baseline year for eight of the targets, and for the targets where there are new data available, the most recent data are for 2021.

For the targets that have new data and assessments of progress, the results are mixed and most need to be used with caution.

According to the Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report July 2022, four of the Closing the Gap targets are on track. These include:

Healthy birthweight of babies

89.5% of First Nations babies born in 2019 were of a healthy birthweight.

This is an increase from 88.8% in 2017 (the baseline year) and is on track to meet the target of 91% by 2031.

Enrolment of children in the preschool

96.7% of First Nations children in the Year Before Fulltime Schooling age cohort were enrolled in a preschool program in 2021.

This is an increase from 76.7% in 2016 (the baseline year) and is on track to meet the target of 95% by 2031.

Youth detention rates

In 2020-21, the rate of First Nations Young Peoples aged 10–17 years in detention on an average day was 23.2 per 10,000 young people in the population.

This is a decrease from 31.9 per 10,000 young people in 2018-19 (the baseline year) and is on track to meet the target to decrease by at least 30% by 2031.

Land mass subject to rights and interests

4,027,232km² of the land mass was subject to First Nations Peoples’ rights or interests in 2021.

This is an increase from 3,911,679 km² of the land mass in 2020 (the baseline year).

The target to see a 15% increase in land mass subject to First Nations Peoples’ rights or interests by 2030 is on track to be met.

What targets aren’t on track?

The report shows five Closing the Gap targets are not on track. These include:

Children commencing school developmentally on track

34.3% of First Nations children commencing school were assessed as being developmentally on track in 2021. This is a decrease from 35.2% in 2018 (the baseline year) and is not on track to meet the target of 55% by 2031.

Out-of-home care

In 2021, the rate of First Nations children aged 0–17 years in out-of-home care was 57.6 per 1000 children in the population. This is an increase from 54.2 per 1000 children in 2019 (the baseline year) and is not on track to meet the target of reducing the rate of out-of-home care by 45% by 2031.

Adult imprisonment

As of 30 June 2021, the age-standardised rate of First Nations prisoners was 2222.7 per 100,000 adult population. This is an increase from 2142.9 per 100,000 adult population in 2019 (the baseline year) and is not on track to meet the target of reducing the incarceration rate by at least 15% by 2031.

Suicide deaths

The suicide rate (for NSW, QLD, WA, SA, NT combined) for First Nations Peoples was 27.9 per 100,000 people in 2020. This is an increase from 25 per 100,000 people in 2018 (the baseline year) and is getting us further away from the target of a ‘significant and sustained reduction in suicide towards zero’.

“Suicide was unknown to Aboriginal people prior to invasion. Appalling living conditions and past traumas have led to a suicide rate that by far exceeds that of non-Aboriginal people.” – Creative Spirits

Sea country subject to rights and interests

90,555km² of the sea country was subject to First Nations Peoples’ rights or interests in 2021. This is an increase from 90,252 km² of the sea country in 2020 (the baseline year).

While this was an increase, the target to see a 15% increase in sea country subject to First Nations Peoples’ rights or interests by 2030 is not on track to be met.

 

Image: Online report – Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report July 2022 | Closing the Gap Information Repository – Productivity Commission (pc.gov.au)

 

The following eight targets not listed above have no new data available since the baseline year:

1. Close the gap in life expectancy within a generation
2. Children enrolled in Year Before Fulltime Schooling early childhood education
3. Proportion of people aged 20-24 years attaining year 12 or equivalent qualification
4. Proportion of people aged 25-34 years who have completed a tertiary qualification
5. Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) who are in employment, education or training
6. Proportion of people aged 25-64 years who are employed
7. Number and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages being spoken
8. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to have equal levels of digital inclusion

You can read the full 2022 report here: Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report July 2022

 

What next?

A further update is scheduled for June 2023, which is anticipated to include reporting for the first time on the further eight targets not listed in the above data. The release of the 2023 Annual Data Compilation Report is anticipated by mid-July.

We look forward to having access to this updated snapshot of Australia’s progress in Closing the Gap.

The Minister for Indigenous Australians has released the 2023 Commonwealth Closing the Gap Implementation Plan. This Implementation Plan is the first under the Albanese Government and outlines the Commonwealth’s strategic priorities and efforts to close the gap over the next 12-18 months. You can read the plan here.

RAQ stands with First Nations staff, clients, and communities. We acknowledge the generosity of First Nations Peoples as they continue to build upon their resilience and resourcefulness and endeavour to develop and maintain respectful relationships with all other Australians and international visitors on their Lands.

RAQ offers culturally appropriate support online and in person. You can call 1300 364 277 to make an appointment with one of our counsellors. Or you can connect with 13YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7) to talk with a First Nations Crisis Supporter.