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Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: Key Indicators 2003

This report was released on 13 November 2003. In addition, the Overview of this report was released as a separate publication. In conjunction with the release the former Chairman, Gary Banks, gave an address Indigenous disadvantage: assessing policy impacts to the conference Pursuing Opportunity and Prosperity hosted by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research and The Australian in Melbourne.

In April 2002, the Council of Australian Governments commissioned the Steering Committee to produce a regular report against key indicators of Indigenous disadvantage. This report has an important long-term objective. It is to inform Australian governments about whether policy programs and interventions are achieving positive outcomes for Indigenous people. This will help guide where further work is needed.

To help ensure the relevance and appropriateness of the indicator framework for the report, the Steering Committee circulated a draft framework for reporting on Indigenous disadvantage in October 2002. The consultation period ended in February 2003, after which, the framework was revised. The revised framework was endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments in August 2003. The Steering Committee prepared a report on its consultations.

The Report and its supporting tables are also available in the CD-ROM from the Report on Government Services 2004.

An errata has been issued (14 July 2004) with all changes listed incorporated into the website version of the report. The affected parts of the report are chapter 3 and attachment 3A.

Please note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website may contain names, images and voices of deceased people. It may also link to other websites which contain names, images and voices of deceased people.

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  • Contents

Preliminaries
Cover, Copyright, Foreword, Contents, Acronyms and abbreviations, Glossary, Terms of Reference, Overview

1   Introduction
1.1   Not just another statistical report
1.2   Background
1.3   The process in brief
1.4   References

2   The framework
2.1   The underpinnings
2.2   The preventive model
2.3   The framework
2.4   Feedback from consultations
2.5   Data issues
2.6   Composition of the Indigenous population
2.7   References

3   Headline indicators
3.1   Life expectancy
3.2   Rates of disability and/or core activity restriction
3.3   Years 10 and 12 retention and attainment
3.4   Post secondary education – participation and attainment
3.5   Labour force participation and unemployment
3.6   Household and individual income
3.7   Home ownership
3.8   Suicide and self-harm
3.9   Substantiated child protection notifications
3.10   Deaths from homicide and hospitalisations for assault
3.11   Victim rates for crime
3.12   Imprisonment and juvenile detention rates
3.13   Future directions in data
3.14   References

4   Strategic areas for action
4.1   The rationale
4.2   Strategic change indicators

5   Early child development and growth
5.1   Rates of hospital admission for infectious diseases
5.2   Infant mortality
5.3   Birthweight
5.4   Hearing impediments
5.5   Future directions in data
5.6 References

6   Early school engagement and performance (preschool to year 3)
6.1   Preschool and school attendance
6.2   Year 3 literacy and numeracy
6.3   Primary school children with dental caries
6.4   Future directions in data
6.5   References

7   Positive childhood and transition to adulthood
7.1   Years 5 and 7 literacy and numeracy
7.2   Retention at year 9
7.3   Indigenous cultural studies in school curriculum and involvement of Indigenous people in development and delivery of Indigenous studies
7.4   Participation in organised sport, arts or community group activities
7.5   Juvenile diversions as a proportion of all juvenile offenders
7.6   Transition from school to work
7.7   Future directions in data
7.8 References

8   Substance use and misuse
8.1   Alcohol and tobacco consumption
8.2   Alcohol related crime and hospital statistics
8.3   Drug and other substance use
8.4   Future directions in data
8.5   References

9   Functional and resilient families and communities
9.1   Children on long term care and protection orders
9.2   Repeat offending
9.3   Access to the nearest health professional
9.4   Proportion of Indigenous people with access to their traditional lands
9.5   Future directions in data
9.6   References

10   Effective environmental health systems
10.1   Rates of diseases associated with poor environmental health
10.2   Access to clean water and functional sewerage
10.3   Overcrowding in housing
10.4   Future directions in data
10.5   References

11   Economic participation and development
11.1   Employment by sector, industry and occupation
11.2   CDEP participation
11.3   Long term unemployment
11.4   Self employment
11.5   Indigenous owned or controlled land
11.6   Accredited training in leadership, finance or management
11.7   Case studies in governance arrangements
11.8   Future directions in data
11.9   References

Appendix 1   COAG Communiqués
Extract from COAG Communiqué 3 November 2000
Extract from COAG Communiqué 5 April 2002

Appendix 2   People and organisations consulted on draft framework for reporting on Indigenous disadvantage

Appendix 3   Data limitations
ABS mortality data
Hospital separations data
Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) homicide data
Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) learning outcomes data
ABS/ATSIC Community Housing and Infrastructure Needs Survey (CHINS) data

Appendix 4   Statistics

The following tables are additional to the printed report.

ATTACHMENT TABLES

3A   Headline indicators - attachment

5A   Early child development and growth (prenatal to age 3) - attachment

6A   Early school engagement and performance (preschool to year 3) - attachment

7A   Positive childhood and transition to adulthood - attachment

8A   Substance use and misuse - attachment

9A   Functional and resilient families and communities - attachment

10A   Effective environmental health systems - attachment

11A   Economic participation and development - attachment