Koori Mail

Leading Indigenous mental health experts have welcomed Federal Government funding for a national suicide prevention strategy. Dr Tom Calma, Professor Pat Dudgeon and Adele Cox, all members of the strategy’s working group, said the $17.8 million over four years would help build strength and resilience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, where suicide happened at double the rate of other parts of Australia.

THE National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) has welcomed a Federal Government strategy to address high suicide rates among Aboriginal people, particularly the younger generations. NACCHO chair Justin Mohamed said the emphasis on local solutions and capacity building was welcomed, however he said the detail of the plan still needed careful examination. Mr Mohamed said that for any strategy to be effective, local, community-led healthcare needed to be at its core.

A mental health summit has delivered recommendations to the Western Australian Premier on how to curb an Aboriginal suicide epidemic. Dumbartung Aboriginal Corporation CEO, Robert Eggington, told the Koori Mail yesterday the Premier’s meeting with the Noongar delegation  ‘well exceeded’ its scheduled duration, and Premier Barnett was very responsive. Premier Barnett told the group that he would now hold further negotiations and discussions regarding the crisis.

THE Federal Government has released a discussion document that outlines how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages can be taught and supported in schools across the nation. Federal School Education Minister Peter Garrett said the draft Framework for Aboriginal Languages and Torres Strait Islander Languages would support community language revival and maintenance.

Federal School Education Minister Peter Garrett.

INDIGENOUS people with disability will benefit from a $900,000 funding package announced today to improve access to national disability support services. The First People’s Disability Network Australia will receive the funds over three years to assist Indigenous Australians to understand and access support from the newly-created DisabilityCare Australia. Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda said the package would help close the gap on Indigenous disadvantage.

A MAJOR mining, infrastructure, telecommunications and energy firm, an Aboriginal company selling work and safety wear, uniforms and promotional merchandise, and Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) are the major winners in the 2013 Supplier Diversity Awards.  The awards, presented by Supply Nation in Melbourne last night, recognise efforts to grow Indigenous business and enterprise. The awards ceremony capped off Supply Nation’s Connect 2013 event, which comprised a conference and trade show at Etihad Stadium.

THE National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples welcomed the extra money in the federal Budget for Indigenous students. Congress said the $11.9 million over four years for the Indigenous Youth Leadership Program will help improve school retention rates and supported the $10 million for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation. The Government will invest $659 million in Indigenous education for programs that will increase parental engagement; provide better access to education and increase school engagement through sport.

ABORIGINAL artist Richard Bell has today been awarded a $100,000 Australia Council Creative Australia Fellowship. Bell was born in the Queensland town of Charleville and is a member of the Kamilaroi, Kooma, Jiman and Gurang Gurang communities. He is a previous winner of the National Telstra Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, and is a nationally recognised artist with works represented in major collections in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

NATIONAL Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (NACCHO) chair Justin Mohamed welcomed the (Close the Gap) CTG announcement of $77 million in the federal Budget but said the lack of detail regarding how it would be allocated left a ‘question mark over Aboriginal health’. Mr Mohamed said he was disappointed the Budget did not spell out how the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan would be funded. The Budget included $16.5 million over four years to tackle trachoma in Indigenous communities.

THE Federal Government said it had allocated $1.6 billion in the Budget for Indigenous health, education, essential services, welfare reform, recognition and advocacy, languages and art. The Government said it was spending $777 million over three years towards Closing the Gap, including the National Partnership Agreement in Health. The funding announced for the National Plan for School Improvement included loading for Indigenous students and support for school students in low socio-economic areas and regional and remote areas.