WA Aboriginal leaders and the WA Government share an aspiration of partnership, supported by formal mechanisms – recognised by government and community alike – for engagement, consultation and decision-making.
These engagement structures include:
- Western Australian Interim Aboriginal Working Group (IAWG)
- Aboriginal Advisory Council of WA (AACWA)
- Aboriginal Affairs Coordinating Committee (AACC)
- Partnership with Reconciliation WA.
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WA Interim Aboriginal Working Group
Show moreIn March 2019, Aboriginal leaders from across WA attended a meeting hosted by the Department. During this forum, a number of Aboriginal leaders were identified to establish an Interim Aboriginal Working Group (IAWG). Its purpose is to work with government to develop the terms and mechanisms for future partnership.
IAWG members and the Aboriginal Policy and Coordination Unit (DPC), identified three stages of partnership development which may require three different and successive mechanisms:
- Short-term: A one-year term of the IAWG to advance Closing the Gap Refresh priorities and establish a foundation for future partnership with government, including the medium-term
- Medium-term: A two- to three-year mechanism to support partnership, with a broader mandate and enhanced membership identification process
- Long-term: An enduring mechanism to sustain government-community partnership in the long-term.
Next steps
On 16 September 2019, Cabinet appointed members of the IAWG to the Western Australian Aboriginal Advisory Council. These members are Gail Beck, Daniel Brown, Merle Carter, Linda Dridi, Jonathan Ford, Corina Martin, Vicki O'Donnell, Gail Reynolds-Adamson, Peter Riley, Marty Sibosado, Peter Yu and Gordon Gray.
Read more about these members.