OUR PATH TOGETHER

STATEMENT BY
THE HONOURABLE PHILIP RUDDOCK MP
MINISTER FOR RECONCILIATION AND 
ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER AFFAIRS
22 MAY 2001

 Commonwealth of Australia 2001
ISBN 0642 45749 2
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Our Path Together

Contents
Overview	1
The Budget in Summary	2
Making Headway	6
Employment and Economic Development	6
Housing and Infrastructure	8
Health and Aged Care	11
Education	14
Rebuilding Families and Communities	17
Getting the Most from Government Services	18
Land and Cultural Heritage	19
Law and Justice	21
Reconciliation	22
Appendix A – A Record of Commitment	24
Appendix B - Identifiable Commonwealth Expenditure on Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs	28

Overview
This statement outlines the Government’s priorities in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs for the 2001‑02 Budget.
In terms of almost every socio‑economic indicator, Indigenous Australians are by far the most disadvantaged group in Australian society. The Government is determined to work in partnership with Indigenous people and with others to reduce Indigenous disadvantage. The 2001‑02 Budget demonstrates that determination by providing a comprehensive and integrated set of new measures at an additional cost of more than $327 million over four years, building on the Government’s long‑term strategy of practical reconciliation. 
By improving the capacity of Indigenous communities to develop sustainable economies and by targeting expenditure to achieving real outcomes in health, housing, education and employment, this Government is making an investment towards a future where all Indigenous Australians can share equally with the rest of the community in the nation’s prosperity. The Government believes the best results will be achieved through working in partnership and through sharing responsibility with Indigenous Australians and is committed to programmes and services that strengthen the capacity of families and communities to manage their own affairs. The Government supports the aspirations of Indigenous Australians to become more self‑reliant.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) is the Government’s principal source of Indigenous advice and has been a key contributor to the development of the Government’s approach to this Budget. The Budget measures also draw on views and ideas expressed by a number of Indigenous leaders including representatives of the Indigenous Community Capacity Building Roundtable. There is a groundswell of Indigenous opinion that has helped to focus attention on the devastating effects of welfare dependency. Indigenous people are calling for improved outcomes, economic development and independence from welfare and assistance in building stronger families and communities. The Government is responding to this call and will continue to seek the views of Indigenous people in determining the best way forward.
Administrative arrangements which came into effect in January this year resulted in the Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs portfolio being elevated to Cabinet. This has allowed a greater focus on Indigenous Australians at the highest level of policy development. The active involvement and commitment of other portfolio ministers will continue to be the underlying strength of this Government’s approach to Indigenous affairs.
The centrepiece of the Government’s 2001‑02 Budget is Australians Working Together - Helping people to move forward, where the Government aims to ensure that the welfare system for people of working age provides as much encouragement as possible for people to get a job, to gain new skills, and to be involved in their communities. Indigenous Australians are far more dependent on welfare than any other group in Australian society. The Australians Working Together package pays particular attention to the needs of Indigenous people by providing $82.7 million over four years for measures specifically targeted to them. Funding of $31.6 million will also be available to Centrelink for better assessment of certain groups, mainly Indigenous people. The Government has listened to arguments from Indigenous people who maintain that the effects of entrenched welfare dependency are the major impediment to reducing Indigenous disadvantage. Clearly a new approach, taking account of the special needs of Indigenous people, is essential. This Government has shown that it is prepared to take that step.
The new initiatives in this Budget are part of a long term, coherent and outcome‑focused strategy that provides additional funding for Indigenous‑specific programmes for housing, employment, education and health. They also provide for increased funding for ATSIC, speedier resolution of native title claims, and for strengthening the capacity of Indigenous community organisations.
In addition to Indigenous‑specific programmes, Indigenous Australians will benefit from mainstream programmes and policies which address the needs of all Australians. Economic growth and the jobs it generates are important to all Australians, especially those experiencing high rates of unemployment. Major initiatives such as the Government’s Roads to Recovery and the Backing Australia's Sporting Ability - A More Active Australia initiatives have elements which will assist Indigenous Australians. The Additional Practice Nurses for Rural Australia and other areas of need initiative will assist in the management of diabetes and kidney disease which are chronic diseases suffered by many Indigenous Australians. The Defence White Paper provides $845,000 for a pilot project to enhance the participation of Indigenous youth in the Australian Defence Force Cadets. The Government's response to the Telecommunications Service Inquiry (the Besley report) will address the telecommunications requirements of Indigenous communities, including the availability of payphones and will also provide $400,000 to develop a detailed plan to address the telecommunication needs of discrete Indigenous communities.

The Budget in Summary
The 2001‑02 Budget includes new spending of more than $327 million over the next four years to build on the Government’s strategic approach to reducing Indigenous disadvantage through practical reconciliation. The new initiatives continue the Government’s focus on the key areas of health, housing, employment and education where Indigenous Australians are particularly disadvantaged. Significant new initiatives in this year's Budget include funding over the next four years of:
•	$82.8 million as part of the Government's Australians Working Together package made up of:
•	$32.2 million to develop and monitor community‑based participation agreements negotiated between ATSIC and remote Indigenous communities;
•	$31.1 million to find more jobs for Indigenous people through contracting Community Development Employment Project organisations to take on the role of Indigenous Employment Centres;
•	$10.2 million to assist Indigenous students to stay in school or undertake vocational training;
•	$9.3 million to improve access to Centrelink services for remote Indigenous communities;
•	$86 million to ensure speedier resolution of native title claims;
•	$75 million to expand the supply of healthy Indigenous housing through construction of new houses, upgrades of existing housing stock, improved infrastructure and measures to build the capacity of community housing organisations to more effectively manage and maintain housing stock;
•	$43.8 million to assist not‑for‑profit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, housing, employment, education and legal service providers with the effects of changes to the fringe benefits tax arrangements. This will ensure that these organisations can continue to attract professional staff; and
•	$40 million to improve Indigenous health.  Involves additional ongoing funding of around $20 million a year from 2003‑04 for the Indigenous Primary Health Care Access programme.
The Government has also agreed to continue funding, beyond 30 June 2002, for the important Link‑up, counselling and parenting elements of the Government's practical package of initiatives for those affected by past family separation practices. An amount of $53.8 million will be provided to extend these programmes to 30 June 2006 adding to the $63 million previously allocated.
The Commonwealth will also contribute a further $15.3 million over the next three years to continue funding the successful major infrastructure projects in the Torres Strait region, subject to agreement on matching funding from the Queensland Government.
Following a joint ATSIC and Department of Finance pricing review of ATSIC spending, the Government has agreed to continue more than $60 million of funding over four years to ATSIC following the completion of the four‑year Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs portfolio funding guarantee.
These initiatives form part of a commitment of $2.39 billion to programmes and services of particular relevance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in 2001‑02. The majority of Indigenous‑specific funding is shared across the portfolios of Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs; Health and Aged Care; Education, Training and Youth Affairs; Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business; Family and Community Services; and the Attorney‑General. 
Funding for the Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs portfolio comprises 55 per cent of total Indigenous‑specific funding. With more than $100 million over four years for new measures in the 2001‑02 Budget and an allocation of $1.134 billion (excluding funding for the Indigenous Land Fund), ATSIC funding will be 47 per cent of total Indigenous‑specific funding in 2001‑02. This represents an increase in real terms compared to ATSIC's spending in the last year of office of the previous Labor government.

Chart 1:  Functional Dissection of 2001‑02 Budget (total $2.39 billion)

Around three‑quarters of the total funding allocated by the Government to Indigenous‑specific activities will be spent in the four priority areas of health, housing, education and employment. 
Chart 2:  Identifiable Commonwealth Expenditure on Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Affairs 1981‑82 to 2001‑02 (in 2001‑02 Dollars)

Source:	Figures from 1981‑82 to 1994‑95 ‑ Department of the Parliamentary Library, Current Issues Brief No.18 of 1997‑98, Dr John Gardiner‑Garden
Figures from 1995‑96 to cash Budget 1998‑99 ‑ Addressing Priorities in Indigenous Affairs, Statement by the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, 12 May 1998
Figures for 1999‑2000 actual obtained from Departments and agencies
Note:	(a)	Cash based estimated outcome for 1997‑98
(b)	Cash based Budget figure for 1998‑99
(c)	Accrual based estimated outcome figures
(d)	Accrual based actual outcome figure
(e)	Accrual based Budget figure
Making Headway
Since 1996, when the Coalition was returned to government, substantial efforts have been made to improve outcomes from Government expenditure on Indigenous programmes and to introduce new initiatives with a strong focus on practical reconciliation in the key areas of health, housing, employment and education. The Government is proud of its record and the outcomes that have been achieved in partnership with Indigenous Australians. An outline of the Government’s record of commitment to Indigenous affairs is at Appendix A.
A number of areas, while still requiring focus and effort, have shown significant improvement over time. For example:
•	the proportion of Indigenous people who own or are purchasing their own home has increased from 1 in 4 in the 1970s to 1 in 3 today;
•	the proportion of Indigenous students completing high school has quadrupled since the 1970s;
•	the infant mortality rate has been cut by more than three quarters from up to 20 times the non‑Indigenous rate to three times that rate;
•	at least 15 per cent of the Australian continent is now Aboriginal owned or controlled; and
•	the Aboriginal imprisonment rate relative to that of non‑Aboriginals has been declining, as have average per capita deaths in prison.
While there has been much progress we must recognise that Indigenous disadvantage will take time to redress due to the legacy of generations of neglect. To meet this challenge, the Government is continually building on its commitment to practical reconciliation and reviewing its strategies with a focus on producing tangible outcomes. The new initiatives announced in the 2001‑02 Budget complement the Government’s outcomes‑based approach over the past five years and are another important step forward in ensuring a better future for Indigenous people.

Employment and Economic Development
Employment and the creation of sustainable business opportunities are keys to achieving economic independence.
ATSIC’s and the Torres Strait Regional Authority’s (TSRA) Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) scheme is an important part of the Government’s employment strategy for Indigenous Australians. ATSIC and the TSRA will spend $491.7 million in 2001‑02 on projects that offer meaningful work to 36,300 participants and provide social, economic and cultural benefits to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. CDEP participants voluntarily forego their government income support entitlement to work on these projects. The scheme operates in urban, rural and remote areas. It is particularly crucial to those remote Indigenous communities where there are few labour market opportunities. ATSIC has implemented a number of improvements to the scheme following the recommendations of the Spicer Review into CDEP. The Government provided funding for an increase of 1,500 CDEP participant places in rural and remote areas in the 2000‑01 Budget.
CDEP is a very successful programme that has benefited many communities and tens of thousands of Indigenous participants. However, there is widespread concern that the scheme is not as successful as it could be in terms of mainstream employment outcomes. The $31.1 million CDEP component of the Australians Working Together package will help to improve employment opportunities for CDEP scheme. 
Through this initiative, the Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business (DEWRSB) will contract CDEP organisations to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people moving into permanent employment. The initiative will target 10,000 CDEP participants over four years in areas with good job opportunities, creating Indigenous Employment Centres which are more closely linked with mainstream employment services. These centres will offer work experience, tailor‑made job search support and access to training. By working with local employers and Job Network members, the Indigenous Employment Centres will encourage people to find work and help them to retain it. This initiative, developed in consultation with ATSIC, complements the successful Indigenous Employment Policy.
The Indigenous Employment Policy has been operating since July 1999 with the aims of generating more employment opportunities for Indigenous Australians. The Policy, which incorporates three elements (Indigenous Employment Programme, Indigenous Small Business Fund and Job Network) has been generating many successful outcomes.
•	Over 3,300 Indigenous people have found jobs since July 1999 through the Wage Assistance Programme which provides a financial incentive to employers to help disadvantaged Indigenous job seekers to find long term jobs. The rate of placements under the programme is increasing with 1,750 Indigenous people finding work in the period 1 July 2000 to 31 March 2001;
•	In the nine months ending March 2001 over 150 Structured Training and Employment Projects had been approved, with accredited training particularly through new apprenticeships provided to around 2,500 Indigenous job seekers. In total over 5,100 Indigenous job seekers have been assisted under the programme since the policy was introduced in 1999;
•	About fifty Australian companies have signed up to be Corporate Leaders for Indigenous Employment, with commitments to provide over 1,600 jobs for Indigenous people;
•	The National Indigenous Cadetship Programme has provided opportunities for Indigenous undergraduates to gain the professional qualifications needed for a range of jobs in both the public and private sectors. About 70 cadets have been selected to commence employment in 2001; and
•	A key focus of the Indigenous Employment Policy is improving outcomes for Indigenous people from mainstream‑funded Job Network services. Between July 2000 and March 2001, about 6,750 Indigenous job seekers were placed in employment by Job Network.
Recognising the importance of business development for economic independence, the Government made a commitment to establish Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) prior to the 1998 election. In April 2001, IBA took responsibility for the operation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commercial Development Corporation with the aim of forging partnerships between Indigenous people and corporate Australia. IBA will develop commercially viable joint ventures that will enable Indigenous Australians to acquire equity in a number of large businesses and provide opportunities for employment. 
The establishment of IBA complements other ongoing programmes including ATSIC’s Business Development Programme, and the joint ATSIC/DEWRSB Indigenous Small Business Fund. 
The Indigenous Small Business Fund provides support for development and expansion of Indigenous businesses and enterprises. The fund will enhance business prospects by supporting skills development programmes, mentoring, networking, advisory services and market development (including export opportunities). As at 31 March 2001, a total of 42 projects had been approved.

Housing and Infrastructure
A good standard of housing and infrastructure is essential for good health. The Government has always made housing and infrastructure programmes a priority and will continue to do so, with significantly increased expenditure for Indigenous housing in this year’s Budget. The Government believes that better management of the existing Indigenous housing stock and more effective targeting of resources to where need is greatest are central to improving housing outcomes for Indigenous Australians.
Current Commonwealth annual expenditure on Indigenous‑specific housing and infrastructure programmes is over $300 million. The Government will build on this commitment through an additional $75 million to be spent over four years to upgrade existing houses and for new construction. This initiative will also improve the provision of essential housing related infrastructure (providing clean water, reliable power and safe waste disposal). This funding will also increase the capacity of housing organisations to adopt more effective management practices to better address the needs of their Indigenous clients. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people themselves will undertake the maintenance work, resulting in greater opportunities for training and skills development. Negotiations with States on the use of the new funds will involve improved accountability arrangements focused on outcomes.
Subject to agreement on matching funding from the Queensland Government, the Federal Government will offer an additional three years funding of $15.3 million for a major infrastructure upgrade in the Torres Strait region. The first stage of this project produced substantial and permanent improvements in water supply, sewerage, roads, drainage and other essential services throughout the region. This second stage will extend these advantages to other island communities.
The Government’s decision to provide additional funding follows evidence that significant gains have already been made in Indigenous related housing and infrastructure. The results of the 1999 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Housing and Infrastructure Needs Survey (CHINS) were released in April 2000 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and ATSIC. It showed progressive improvement in the status of Indigenous housing and infrastructure since a similar survey in 1992:
•	90 per cent of discrete communities had access to electricity compared to 72 per cent in 1992;
•	67 per cent of those communities had higher level sewerage systems compared to 55 per cent in 1992; and
•	33 per cent of dwellings in discrete communities were in need of major repairs or replacement compared to 39 per cent of those communities in 1992.
Chart 3:  Housing and Infrastructure Needs in Discrete Indigenous Communities

Source: ATSIC Annual Report, 1999‑2000, p104
Note: Indigenous people living in discrete communities make up around 30 per cent of the total Indigenous 
    population. This chart does not include Indigenous people living in towns and cities who have access 
    to the same infrastructure available to other residents in these towns and cities.

The CHINS survey echoed improvements revealed in the results of the 1996 Census. In the preceding fifteen years, overcrowding had been reduced to the extent that the average number of people per Indigenous household had fallen from 4.4 persons to 3.7 persons and the proportion of Indigenous families who live in improvised dwellings had dropped significantly to 3 per cent from 20 per cent in the 1970s.
A number of States and Territories have entered into bilateral agreements with the Commonwealth (represented by ATSIC) to pool housing and infrastructure funds and to allocate these funds regionally on the basis of need. These bilateral agreements ensure the coordinated delivery of services and increase Indigenous participation in decision making. Agreements now exist in all states and territories except Tasmania, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory. 
Home ownership is an important part of giving Indigenous people a financial stake in the wider economy and reducing welfare dependency. Over $50 million is being spent on ATSIC's home ownership scheme which provides some 450 home loans per annum. Programmes such as these have resulted in real progress over the past two decades. The proportion of Indigenous families that own or are purchasing their own home has increased from 24 per cent in the early 1970s to 33 per cent today.
The Government is particularly proud of the ATSIC Army Community Assistance Programme (AACAP). Careful targeting, consultation and partnerships have achieved both immediate and long‑term benefits in some of the most disadvantaged communities in the country. The Government has provided $51.2 million in total funding for AACAP. In the three years from 1997‑2000, around $17 million has been spent to construct much‑needed infrastructure in many communities. For example, in Melville Island the Army rebuilt the road access to Milikapiti, installed better drainage against wet season flooding, refurbished existing houses and built new houses.  On Bathurst Island the Army built a water tower, installed sewerage and improved roads. 
Communities that have been assisted include Bulla (NT), Marthakal Outstations (NT), Milyakburra (NT), Milikapiti (Tiwi Islands, NT), Wurankuwu (NT), Jumbun (QLD), Oombulgurri (WA), Oak Valley (SA) and Docker River (NT). Projects are planned for 2001‑02 at Yarralin, Lingarra and Amanbidji in the Northern Territory. In each of the communities assisted under the programme, the Army has provided additional medical, dental and veterinary services, while they were in the community. Importantly, it has also provided the local community with the skills to construct, maintain and manage their new assets, an important part of the process of building community capacity.

Health and Aged Care
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to experience the lowest health status of any group in the Australian community, with the problem being more pronounced in remote regions. The major causes of death for young and middle aged adults are cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, injury, cancer and, increasingly, diabetes related illnesses. Dealing effectively with diet and lifestyle issues, including substance abuse, is critically important to increasing life expectancy for Indigenous Australians. 
Considerable effort has been invested in making mainstream programmes more accessible and more responsive to the needs of Indigenous Australians. A range of initiatives including improved access to medicines for remote Indigenous Australians, the use of Medicare in Aboriginal community controlled health services and streamlined enrolment and billing arrangements have resulted in greater use of the Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Schemes by Indigenous Australians.
The Government has recognised that these mainstream systems, whilst they are an important contribution to Indigenous health, also need to be complemented by more targeted programmes in order to meet the greater health needs of Indigenous Australians. This Budget provides for additional ongoing funding of around $20 million each year from 2003‑04 for the Indigenous specific Primary Health Care Access Programme. These funds will be used to provide doctors, Aboriginal health workers, and health promotion activities to Indigenous communities in locations where they are most needed.
By 2003‑04 Federal Government spending on Indigenous specific health programmes through the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (which accounts for the bulk of such spending) will have increased by 86 per cent since 1996 to $253 million per year. The Government is expanding its efforts in this area in a manner that builds a sustainable health care infrastructure.
Under the $13 million Rural Nursing Scholarships initiative, ten scholarships will be specifically set aside for Indigenous nursing students or health workers to improve access to undergraduate nursing education in rural areas. As part of this initiative, $2.1 million over four years will be provided for support measures associated with the scholarship with a particular emphasis placed on Indigenous nursing students. Funding will be provided to facilitate greater access to mentor/preceptor programmes and financial assistance will be made available to scholarship holders in exceptional circumstances where students suffer financial hardship.  Funding will also be provided for culturally appropriate training for rural nurses to assist them in providing care to Indigenous Australian clients.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are one of the groups who will benefit from the $23 million to be spent over four years on the National Childhood Pneumococcal Vaccination Programme. Aboriginal children, especially in Central Australia, are at particular risk of pneumococcal infections, which can cause meningitis.
Chart 3:  Identifiable Commonwealth Expenditure on Aboriginal and Torres
            Strait Islander Health 1981‑82 to 2003‑04 (in 2001‑02 Dollars)

Source:	Figures from 1981‑82 to 1994‑95 ‑ Department of the Parliamentary Library, Current Issues Brief No.18 of 1997‑98, Dr John Gardiner‑Garden
Figures from 1995‑96 to cash Budget 1998‑99 ‑ Addressing Priorities in Indigenous Affairs, Statement by the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, 12 May 1998
Figures for 1999‑2000 to 2003‑04 provided by the Department of Health and Aged Care.
Note:	(a)	Cash based estimated outcome for 1997‑98
(b)	Cash based Budget figure for 1998‑99
(c)	Accrual based estimated outcome figures
(d)	Accrual based actual outcome figure
(e)	Accrual based Budget figure
(f)	Forward estimate figure

Long lead times are required before demonstrable improvements in Indigenous health outcomes will be evident. Factors such as low birth weight and lifestyle continue to influence death and illness rates for many years after the events. Nevertheless, changes in the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are occurring. For example, the rate of Indigenous infant mortality has fallen from 138 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 1965 to 14 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1999. Other real gains achieved over the last five years include: 
•	basic health services have been approved for 35 remote Indigenous communities, which had little or no access to services previously; 
•	the number of Indigenous health services has grown from 261 in 1997‑98 to 281 in 1999‑2000; and
•	Indigenous community controlled health services provided over one million episodes of care in 1998‑99.
Evidence is emerging that the strategic approach taken since the mid‑1990s is working. The health status of Indigenous people is improving in places where local health services providing sound clinical and population health programmes have been established and are delivering services in a way that actively engages individuals and communities in managing their health. Examples of achievements include:
•	a 50 per cent reduction in the Tiwi Islands of the number of patients progressing to end stage renal disease, through the better management of chronic disease;
•	improved use of health services by Indigenous people who are ill, for example, the establishment of a men’s health clinic at Gapuwiyak in the Northern Territory in 1996‑97 saw a 600 per cent increase in clinic visits by men; and
•	the Nganampa Health Service in South Australia has achieved a reduction in low birthweight babies from 13 per cent to 5 per cent.
The evaluation report of the four landmark coordinated care trials conducted in Aboriginal communities between 1997 and 2000 showed significant improvement in increasing access for Aboriginal people to services, health care planning and population health programmes. For example:
•	100 per cent child immunisation rates in Wilcannia in New South Wales, a first time achievement; and
•	a mobile clinic service, initiated through the Katherine West Health Board in the Northern Territory, that caters to the needs of 33 pastoral properties and 26 out‑station groups over an area two and a half times that of Tasmania.
Another outcome of critical importance has been improvements to the capacity of local communities, organisations and services in identifying and meeting local health needs. The Aboriginal coordinated care trials showed that progress can be made to improve Aboriginal health when governments, local communities and health services work together in partnership. The Government will draw on the lessons learned from the trials and extend this innovative approach to service delivery to other parts of Australia.
Through the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council, the Commonwealth is currently participating in the development of a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy. A draft strategy is currently available for consultation. 

Education
The Government believes that improving education outcomes for Indigenous Australians throughout the school, vocational education and higher education systems will be vital in reducing Indigenous disadvantage and dependency on welfare.
While the proportion of Indigenous adults who have never attended school has fallen from 24 per cent in 1971 to three per cent in 1996, more needs to be done to encourage Indigenous students to stay on at school and improve academic achievement. As a part of the Australians Working Together package, $10.2 million over four years will provide support for Indigenous students to stay on and complete Year 12 and go on to further education and training and move into paid employment. Some 1,600 students will receive assistance. Project coordinators will work to develop compacts with business, schools and Indigenous families to provide support and encouragement to these students.
Under this new initiative a further 2,300 secondary school students, particularly in remote areas will be assisted through the support of local business to undertake vocational learning opportunities as part of their secondary schooling. Projects involving both on and off the job vocational training suited to the needs of local communities will be identified with the assistance of the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation. Students will be able to develop a better skills base which in turn will lead to greater employment opportunities.
These new initiatives build on the Government’s solid policy and programme effort in Indigenous education over the past five years. The Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives Programme (IESIP) provides supplementary funding on a per capita basis to preschools, schools, and to vocational education and training providers. It also provides funding for travel, accommodation, and related activities for distance education students in the tertiary sector to attend compulsory residential schools as part of their course of study. This is the main Indigenous specific education programme and plays a key role in the Commonwealth’s strategy to close the gap between Indigenous and non‑Indigenous education outcomes. IESIP funding has grown by about 71 per cent in five years, from $89 million in 1995‑96 to nearly $152 million in 2001‑02.
In addition to the per capita IESIP funding, some $27 million over four years has been earmarked for the National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, launched by the Prime Minister in March 2000. The objective of this Strategy is to ensure that Indigenous people achieve English literacy and numeracy levels comparable to other young Australians.
The Strategy is designed to implement the national goals agreed to by Commonwealth State and Territory Education Ministers in relation to literacy and schooling: that all children leaving primary school should be numerate, able to read, write and spell at an appropriate level, and that every child commencing school from 2001 will achieve a minimum acceptable literacy and numeracy standard within four years. It aims to lift Indigenous school attendance rates, address health problems that undermine learning, attract and retain good teachers and use the most effective teaching methods to obtain successful results for Indigenous students.
Other key initiatives under the National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, that have a strong impact across education systems and raise the profile of this Strategy within States and Territories, are:
•	the Ambassadors Programme involving prominent Indigenous Australians, which provides leadership and positive role models through school visits, meetings with parents, high profile events and key national conferences;
•	the Dare to Lead project for school principals, which is taking the challenge of accelerating the achievement of educational equality direct to school principals;
•	the Accelerating Literacy Achievement project in independent schools, which is being delivered by the University of Canberra using techniques that have demonstrated rapid improvements in English literacy levels;
•	the Indigenous Youth Partnership Initiative, which provides school‑to‑work and vocational pathway projects for young Indigenous adults, as well as professional development support activities; and
•	an initial National Conference of Education Providers, held in November 2000 and which celebrated successes and conveyed the Government’s vision for improved education for Indigenous Australians.
Under the Indigenous Education Direct Assistance (IEDA) programme, the Aboriginal Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ATAS) already assists nearly 27,000 students through 825 Homework Centres and around 15,500 students through individual or small group tuition. IEDA also supports nearly 99,000 students through the Aboriginal Student Support and Parent Awareness programme which assists parents to engage with their children's education.
In 2000, about 87 per cent of Indigenous students were enrolled in the government school sector. The Year 12 retention rate has increased from 29.2 per cent in 1996 to 38.0 per cent in 2000.
Chart 5:  Number of Indigenous Students Entering Year 12

Source: Schools Division, Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs

The participation rate for vocational education and training by Indigenous people under the age of 24 years has increased from 13,500 in 1996 to 21,967 in 1999 (an increase of 62.7 per cent). The total number of Indigenous students in vocational education and training has dramatically increased from 15,100 in 1990 to 50,800 in 1999, an increase of around 340 per cent. The number of Indigenous people commencing traineeships and apprenticeships has increased significantly from around 800 in 1994 to approximately 4,880 in 2000.
On 30 June 2000, the Commonwealth and the State and Territory Ministers of Training endorsed Partners in a Learning Culture: Australia’s National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy for vocational education and training 2000‑2005 and a Blueprint for Implementation. The Strategy and the Blueprint propose actions which should assist young Indigenous people to participate in vocational education and training and increase participation rate even further.
Higher education Indigenous student numbers almost quadrupled between 1987 and 2000. Between the censuses of 1991 and 1996 the proportion of 20 to 24 year old Indigenous people with a University degree tripled.
The Government has shown that it is prepared to support new and innovative approaches that produce better outcomes for Indigenous students. The Federal Government is the major financial contributor to the successful Croc Eisteddfods which provide an opportunity for Indigenous students to succeed in school‑based community events with a strong anti‑drugs message. The Prime Minister and a number of other ministers attended Croc Eisteddfod events last year and were impressed with the motivational impact on students, parents and communities alike. The Government has therefore undertaken to increase its contribution to allow for more Croc Eisteddfods in 2001.

Rebuilding Families and Communities
Family and community have always been an integral part of the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This Government will continue to promote the strengthening of family and community structures as a key to improving the lives of Indigenous Australians.
Under the Australians Working Together package, a further $32.2 million will be provided over the next four years to enhance community development and capacity building activities. In partnership with ATSIC, around 100 Indigenous communities across Australia will develop Community Participation Agreements that will enable each community to decide what people should do in return for their income support and plan for better delivery of services at the local level. The agreements will support the development of leadership, community governance and cultural identity and will strengthen community involvement in important programmes such as the National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy. 
The Government continues to address the consequences of past family separation practices through its four year $63 million package of initiatives announced in December 1997. The Link‑up network and the counselling and parenting programmes which were the centrepiece of the Government's practical package will continue beyond 30 June 2002 at a further cost of $53.9 million over the four years to 30 June 2006.
On 24 October 2000 the Indigenous Community Capacity Building Roundtable was convened at the request of the Prime Minister to discuss ways to strengthen Indigenous families and communities. Roundtable members include senior Indigenous and community leaders, industry and church representatives, academics and individuals with recognised expertise in working with Indigenous families and communities. The roundtable developed a set of principles to guide the Government’s work in Indigenous communities. Principles developed by the roundtable are used to develop and assess projects under the $20 million component of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy provided for Indigenous‑specific projects.
Projects approved to this point focus on improving capacity in Indigenous communities, particularly in relation to leadership, conflict resolution and strategies to increase social and economic opportunities. The projects include a significant national Indigenous Leadership initiative sponsored by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. 
A national framework to address Indigenous family violence was developed and endorsed by the Ministerial Council for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs in 1999. The Government has set aside $6 million through the Partnerships Against Domestic Violence programme to give practical effect to the strategy by providing direct support for grassroots Indigenous organisations in their efforts to address family violence. Thirty Indigenous organisations received funding of $2.2 million under the first round of the grants programme for projects ranging from children’s education programmes to perpetrator programmes. Applications for the second round of funding are expected to be advertised in June 2001. The second round will make available a further $3.5 million to address Indigenous family violence.
Indigenous Australians continue to be a key target group for treatment programmes under the National Illicit Drug Strategy. Under the Strategy the Government has provided funding totalling $7.5 million over four years towards the establishment and expansion of 23 services targeting illicit drugs use, including petrol sniffing, in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities. In addition, the Prime Minister recently announced a further $1 million for community supported early intervention and prevention initiatives aimed at diverting experimental sniffers and those at risk of petrol sniffing in the Northern Territory.

Getting the Most from Government Services
The Government has a strong record of innovation in the way services are delivered and is continually looking for new approaches that improve the effectiveness of programmes and services delivered by Government agencies and that strengthen the capacity of community service providers to achieve better outcomes.
The Government has provided $43.8 million over the next four years to ensure health, housing, employment, education and legal services provided by not‑for‑profit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations are not disadvantaged by the new concessional benefits caps through the fringe benefits tax arrangements. This initiative will ensure these organisations can continue to offer attractive salary packaging arrangements to entice professionals to provide assistance to Indigenous communities, particularly in rural or remote areas of Australia.
The Australians Working Together package provides an additional $9.3 million over four years to establish twelve new Centrelink remote area servicing centres. Employing local staff, these centres will provide better services and support to Indigenous people in remote communities through improving access to the wide range of services available through Centrelink. The new Centrelink remote area servicing centres will add to existing agency arrangements and will work with communities and ATSIC to implement the new Community Participation Agreements.
One of the Government's principal aims in Indigenous affairs has been to direct resources to where they are most needed. In 1998 the Government made a commitment to have the Commonwealth Grants Commission develop measures of relative disadvantage to identify those communities in greatest need. The Government recently received the Commissioner’s final report and is currently considering the results of its inquiry.
In November 2000 the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), in a ground‑breaking decision, agreed that reconciliation was an ongoing process and that the role of governments is to reduce Indigenous disadvantage. COAG determined that governments needed to work in partnership with Indigenous people focussing efforts on improving outcomes through flexible approaches to programme delivery. As part of the Commonwealth’s response to the COAG decision on reconciliation, the Prime Minister has asked all portfolio ministers to review their mainstream and Indigenous specific programmes and services to improve outcomes for Indigenous Australians. These reviews will consider the extent to which programme guidelines allow for flexible responses in partnership with local communities and the extent to which programmes are integrated with the range of other federal, state and local government programmes at the local community level. These reviews will be completed this year and a comprehensive whole of Government response will be provided.
In May 1997, the Prime Minister tasked the Steering Committee for the Review of Commonwealth/State Service Provision to give particular attention to the performance of mainstream services in meeting the needs of Indigenous Australians. Since then the Report on Government Services has been improving the reporting of Indigenous peoples' access to mainstream services. 
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has established an ongoing programme to develop and improve Indigenous data flowing from Commonwealth, State and Territory administrative systems. The ABS is working with agencies to develop and support national Indigenous information plans and Indigenous performance indicators. The quality of Indigenous data from the 2001 Census of Population and Housing will be improved. The ABS is also expanding the data available on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by improving the Household Survey programme, conducting regular Indigenous general social surveys, including Indigenous samples in regular health surveys and by publishing annual Indigenous labour force estimates. 

Land and Cultural Heritage
The 2001‑02 Budget will provide additional funding of $86 million over the next four years for the native title system. The additional funding will ensure speedier resolution of native title claims.
The Government is committed to providing Indigenous people with opportunities to gain economic and social benefits from land ownership and to assisting Indigenous people to maintain their cultural heritage. Total Commonwealth spending on Indigenous land and native title matters in 2001‑02 is now expected to be $203 million after potential native title financial assistance payments to the States and Territories ($11 million) are excluded.
In 1998 the Government substantially amended the Native Title Act 1993 to make it more workable in the interests of all stakeholders. Those amendments have proved very effective. The registration test amendments have resulted in the amalgamation of overlapping claims. The number of active native title claims has been reduced from 763 before the amendments took effect to 583 as at 16 May 2001. This has streamlined the processes for managing native title claims.
The 1998 amendments provided for new arrangements for Native Title Representative Bodies (NTRBs). The process of re‑recognition of NTRBs has been completed for all of Australia apart from two areas. Sixteen NTRBs have now been recognised and funded by the Government to provide assistance to native title claimants to progress their claims and assist claimants in land use negotiations.
The 1998 amendments also provided an agreement‑making framework for Indigenous people and other parties through Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs). Sixteen ILUAs have been registered by the National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT), a further twenty‑one are being processed by the NNTT and the NNTT is aware of over 100 further in development as at 16 May 2001. In addition there are now over 2000 general native title process agreements involving native title parties, ranging from future act agreements to pastoral access agreements.
Native title is but one of the range of options through which Indigenous people can secure land rights. At least 15 per cent of the continent is already Aboriginal owned or controlled as a result of various Commonwealth or State statutory schemes predating the common law recognition of native title in the Mabo judgment. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Fund (valued at around $1.1 billion in 2001‑02) provides an average of $52 million per annum to the Indigenous Land Corporation to assist Indigenous people to purchase land of social, cultural or economic significance to them and to manage land which they hold.
In addition, under the Northern Territory Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976 nearly half of the Northern Territory has been returned to Indigenous ownership. Since 1996, the Government has returned thirteen parcels of land to Aboriginal traditional owners in the Northern Territory. This includes two so far in 2000‑01.
The Department of Industry, Science and Resources will receive additional funding in the Budget for a new programme to foster partnerships between Indigenous Australians and the mining industry. The programme will include the documentation and promotion of examples of effective and positive relationships between Indigenous communities and mining companies. The programme will involve funding of $1.2 million over four years.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Bill 1998 is currently before Parliament. It is intended that the Bill replace the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984. This will provide an improved Commonwealth regime for dealing with applications for heritage protection and a system of accreditation of State and Territory Indigenous cultural heritage protection regimes that meet certain standards.
The Government recognises that the return of ancestral remains is significant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In July 2000, the Prime Minister issued a joint statement with the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, outlining the intentions of their governments to increase efforts to repatriate Indigenous human remains from Britain to Australia. As an important first step ATSIC has been developing protocols that will facilitate the sensitive process of repatriating ancestral remains. On behalf of the Cultural Ministers Council, the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts also funds two support programmes to assist with the identification and return of Indigenous human remains and secret/sacred objects from national, State and Territory museums within Australia to Indigenous communities.
The Australia Council, through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board, supports Indigenous artists and communities and distributes funding of between $4 million and $5 million per annum to foster Indigenous arts and culture. In recognition of the significance of the Indigenous arts and crafts industry to the national economy and to Indigenous artists the Government has assisted the National Indigenous Arts Advocacy Association in developing a Label of Authenticity. This is a national trademark to authenticate cultural products as the work of Indigenous artists. A national registry will be set up to issue the label to individual artists and organisations for both the visual and performing arts. 
Early in 2001 the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies took up residence in its new building co‑located with the new National Museum of Australia in Canberra. The Government funded this building at a cost of $15 million.

Law and Justice
In the last Budget the Federal Government allocated $20 million to the Northern Territory over four years to divert juveniles from the criminal justice system and to jointly fund interpreter services. The Aboriginal Interpreter Service in the Northern Territory now has 176 interpreters registered covering 104 languages. In the first year of the agreement with the Northern Territory, $400,000 is being directly provided by the Commonwealth to the Northern Territory Aboriginal legal services to purchase interpreter services. The pre‑court diversion scheme is also progressing well with over 850 juveniles, including many Indigenous young people, being offered diversion from the criminal justice system. 
Reforms introduced by the Government to improve the quality, accessibility and accountability of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services are continuing. National minimum service standards and new policy guidelines for test case funding have been implemented, and best practice standards for legal services are being developed on a State and Territory basis. A major focus of the reforms is to improve the services available to Indigenous women, particularly in the areas of family violence, family law and other civil matters. In a related initiative, at a cost of around $3 million, twelve Family Violence Legal Prevention Units are being established to provide advice and legal assistance to Indigenous women.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. The Royal Commission found that the high number of Indigenous deaths in custody was a result of the over‑representation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system. The Royal Commission determined that the underlying cause of this over‑representation was social and economic disadvantage. The Commonwealth accepted 338 of the 339 recommendations put forward by the Royal Commission, and committed $400 million to their implementation (80 per cent of this money was channelled through ATSIC). States and Territories, which have primary responsibility for criminal justice matters, also provided significant funding to implement the recommendations. 
There are indications that Government initiatives are beginning to have a positive effect. Despite an increase in the prison population over the last decade, the number of Indigenous people in prison has stabilised in recent times, and has fallen over the last year. More importantly, the over‑representation of Indigenous people in custody has decreased from about nineteen times that of non‑Indigenous people in 1994 to less than fifteen times in 2000. Research by the Australian Institute of Criminology also indicates Indigenous people receive shorter sentences than non‑Indigenous people for most offences.
Similar improvements may be seen in relation to deaths in custody. While it is a tragedy that people are dying in our gaols, the average rate of Indigenous deaths in custody has fallen since the Royal Commission. Indigenous people are now less likely to die in custody than non‑Indigenous prisoners. However, after the Royal Commission, the definition of a ‘death in custody’ was broadened to include deaths in community settings (such as police pursuits, escapes and sieges). This definitional change has masked the improvements that have been made as any simple comparison between the figures released by the Royal Commission to fatalities recorded today would artificially increase the difference.

Reconciliation
The Government has a strong commitment to the ongoing process of reconciliation. The Government recognises the positive contribution made by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation which completed its statutory term in December 2000. To carry on the process of reconciliation, Reconciliation Australia, an independent body, has been established and the Government has contributed $5.6 million and tax deductibility status for gifts and donations made to it.
The Government has also committed $5 million to the construction of 'Reconciliation Place' within the Parliamentary Triangle to honour the importance of reconciliation in the nation's life and to recognise the shared journey between the different peoples of the Australian nation. It will also recognise the hurt and trauma that many Indigenous people continue to feel as a consequence of past practices of family separation.
It is integral to reconciliation that there be positive and effective steps taken to address Indigenous disadvantage so that Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders share equally in the full range of opportunities available to Australians today. The Council of Australian Governments meeting in November 2000 committed the Federal Government and the States and Territories to the reconciliation process by agreeing to collectively pursue measures to address Indigenous disadvantage.
The Government’s record of achievement in Indigenous affairs, together with the comprehensive and practical set of new initiatives announced in this year’s Budget, are a tangible demonstration of the Government’s commitment to the ongoing process of reconciliation.

Appendix A – A Record of Commitment
The 2001‑02 Budget measures build on the Government's record of commitment over the past five years. Those achievements include:
1996
Greater focus on achieving desired outcomes through the quarantining of Aboriginal housing and infrastructure and Community Development Employment Projects from savings measures.
Tightening of accountability requirements within ATSIC and its funded bodies as a result of the findings and recommendations of the Special Auditor.
1997
Commencement of the innovative ATSIC/Army Community Assistance Programme which brings together Aboriginal communities and the Army in a partnership to construct essential infrastructure in some of the most needy remote communities at a cost of $10 million.
Commonwealth, State and Territory ministerial summit on reducing the over‑representation of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system.
Commencement of the first review of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 since the early 1980s.
Agreement to national performance indicators and targets for improvements to Indigenous health agreed by Commonwealth, State and Territory Health Ministers.
Funding levels in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs portfolio guaranteed for four years, providing surety of funding to the portfolio.
Completion of a major review of ATSIC's and TSRA's Community Development Employment Projects scheme.
The Hindmarsh Island Bridge Act 1997 came into operation, precluding further action or litigation under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 and thereby enabled construction of the bridge to Hindmarsh Island.
Federal Government response to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's report on the separation of Aboriginal families, Bringing Them Home. The Government response provides a practical $63 million package of initiatives to facilitate family reunion and assist Aboriginal people cope with the hurt and trauma of family separation.

1998
Provision of an extra $73 million over four years to address the urgent health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commercial Development Corporation provided with an additional $10 million capital injection to promote greater participation of Indigenous interests in large business investments.
Joint funding agreement between the Commonwealth and Queensland governments to improve access to essential infrastructure in the Torres Strait region involving $30 million over three years.
Native title amendments agreed to, paving the way for greater certainty and improved workability of the native title process.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Bill first introduced into Parliament.
1999
Both Houses of Federal Parliament endorsed the Government‑sponsored Motion of Reconciliation which reaffirmed the cause of reconciliation as an important national priority and expressed deep and sincere regret that Indigenous Australians suffered injustices under the practices of past generations and recognised the hurt and trauma that many Indigenous people continue to feel as a consequence of those practices.
Launch of the Indigenous Employment Policy involving $52 million per year for programmes aimed at generating more job opportunities for Indigenous in the private sector and to provide support for Indigenous people to enter into small business.
Extension of the ATSIC Army Community Assistance Programme with an additional $41.2 million over four years to improve essential infrastructure in remote communities.
Roundtable convened by the former Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs to discuss ways to address family violence in Indigenous communities. The Ministerial Council for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs subsequently endorsed a national framework to target Indigenous family violence. Over three years, $6 million from the Partnerships Against Domestic Violence strategy was set aside for Indigenous projects.
First all‑elected board of ATSIC and first elected ATSIC Chairman. 

2000
In July 2000 Prime Minister John Howard and Prime Minister Tony Blair made a joint statement outlining their governments’ intention to increase efforts to repatriate Indigenous human remains from Britain to Australia.
Launch of the $27 million National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy.
Expansion of the Community Development Employment Projects scheme by an extra 1,500 places for regional and remote areas at a net cost to the Budget of $20.8 million over four years.
Review of the Aboriginal Councils and Associations Act initiated – more than 3,300 Aboriginal organisations have been incorporated under this legislation.
Announcement of the construction of Reconciliation Place to honour the importance of reconciliation in the nation's life and to recognise the shared journey between the different peoples of the Australian nation. It will also recognise the hurt and trauma associated with the removal of children from their families.
Corroboree 2000 was a significant Government‑sponsored event organised by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation which included the presentation of the national reconciliation documents to Australian governments.
Reconciliation Australia established with $5.6 million grant from the Federal Government to continue the "people's movement" for reconciliation. The Government has also given tax deductibility status for donations and gifts to the organisation.
Government announced the first round of grants from the National Indigenous Family Violence Grants Programme which is part of the Partnerships Against Domestic Violence initiative. Thirty Indigenous organisations across Australia received funding of $2.2 million for thirty‑one practical community based projects addressing family violence.
Roundtable convened by the then Ministers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and Family and Community Services to examine ways to build capacity within Indigenous communities. The roundtable involved Indigenous and non‑Indigenous community leaders and resulted in $20 million being set aside for Indigenous community capacity building projects from the Stronger Families and Communities strategy.
Launch of the Voluntary Service to Indigenous Communities Foundation which aims to link skilled volunteers with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities requesting assistance. The Government has granted $1.5 million over three years and tax deductibility status for gifts and donations.
Council of Australian Governments agrees to a framework for advancing reconciliation through addressing Indigenous disadvantage.
Prime Minister delivers keynote speech - the Menzies Lecture, on reconciliation and the Government's Indigenous affairs agenda.
2001
Establishment of the Federal Department of Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs along with the elevation of the portfolio to Cabinet.
The first projects under the Indigenous‑specific component of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy announced by Senators Newman and Herron in January 2001. The projects included a national leadership programme with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) and other community based projects designed to create increased social and economic opportunities at the local level.
Establishment of Indigenous Business Australia to forge partnerships between Indigenous people and corporate Australia by developing commercially viable joint ventures that will enable Indigenous Australians to acquire equity in a number of large businesses and to create opportunities for employment.
Opening of new building for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
2001 Budget announces around $327 million additional funding over the next four years for Indigenous‑specific programmes.

Appendix B - Identifiable Commonwealth Expenditure on Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs
The following table provides a summary of expenditure of particular relevance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Expenditure elements are listed by portfolio and the first elements under each portfolio relate to the Department of State under that portfolio unless otherwise listed1. The 2001‑02 column details Budget estimates for this year. The 2000‑01 estimated outcome column provides an update of the figures provided in last year's statement, The Future Together.

Notes to table:
1.	For comparability, the 2000‑01 and 2001‑02 figures have all been presented on an accrual basis. However, it should be noted that there might be variations in the methodology used from agency to agency. 
2.	In January 2001 the Department of Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs was established incorporating many of the functions of the former Office of Indigenous Policy in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Funding prior to this change is reported under the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio, whilst funding after the change appears under the Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs portfolio.
3.	Indigenous Business Australia incorporates the former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commercial Development Corporation.
4.	2001‑02 estimate not available at the time of printing this publication.
5.	Expenditure is dependent on States and Territories signing agreements with the Commonwealth and on each of the jurisdictions incurring relevant costs. Whilst an estimate of $14 million had been Budgeted for in 2000‑01, no expenditure is now anticipated in 2000‑01.
6.	One‑off funding for grants, forums or other special projects.
7.	Construction was completed during 2000‑01.
8.	The significant proportion of the interviewing and transcription associated with the Oral History Project took place during 2000‑01. Activity on the project is expected to wind down during 2001‑02 which is the last year of the project funding.
9.	The National Museum of Australia has advised that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Programme is expected to continue during 2001‑02 but the final budget estimate is not available at the time of printing this publication.
10.	The National Museum of Australia expects to stage the Tracking Kultja festival during 2001‑02. However, a 2001‑02 Budget estimate was not available at the time of printing this publication.
11.	The Commonwealth Grants Commission is due to complete its work on the Indigenous Funding inquiry during 2000‑01.
12.	The continuation of Indigenous Coordinated Care services have been included in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care Access programme. The remaining 2000‑01 funding relates to the finalisation of contractual obligations under the former Indigenous Coordinated Care Trials.
13.	A decision on the final estimate for 2001‑02 was still to be made by the Australian Sports Commission at the time of printing this statement. A provisional estimate has been included subject to change.
14.	The 2000‑01 estimated outcome includes $5.6 million granted to Reconciliation Australia. There is no estimate for 2001‑02 as the statutory term of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation ended in December 2000.
15.	The 2001‑02 Budget estimate for Local Government Financial Assistance Grants is based on the amount allocated to Indigenous councils in 2000‑01, increased by the estimated escalation factor for 2001‑02 Financial Assistance Grants. This figure is subject to change as State Grant Commissions are responsible for determining the distribution of the grants to councils in their respective jurisdictions and final allocations for 2001‑02 will not be known until August 2001.
16.	To avoid double‑counting, the Australian Bureau of Statistics figures do not include user‑funded surveys which are covered under user agencies’ estimates (For example, ATSIC).