In 2008, the COAG set Closing the Gap targets focussed on life expectancy, mortality, education and employment. With only two of the seven targets on track, in December 2016 COAG agreed to refresh the Closing the Gap agenda ahead of the tenth anniversary of the agreement.
In February 2018, a special gathering of prominent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians presented COAG with a statement setting out its priorities for the new Closing the Gap agenda. It called for the next phase to be guided by the principles of empowerment and self-determination and to deliver a community-led, strengths-based strategy that enables Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to move beyond surviving to thriving.
In December 2018, COAG agreed to establish a Joint Council as a key step in the partnership between governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Joint Council is a recognition of the shared decision making with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through their representative organisations, and in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Closing the Gap framework that is essential to closing the gap in life outcomes.
On 8 March 2019, Aboriginal leaders from across WA attended a meeting hosted by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC) to consider opportunities to advance partnership between Aboriginal communities, through their representatives, and the WA Government; and inform a shared-decision making approach to a ‘refreshed’ Closing the Gap agenda.
At this forum, 13 Aboriginal leaders were peer-nominated to establish an Interim Aboriginal Working Group (IAWG) to develop the terms and mechanisms for future partnership with government; and nominate WA Aboriginal representation at the Closing the Gap forums.
The Joint Council on Closing the Gap met for the first time in Brisbane on 27 March 2019. It was attended by representatives of the National Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations and representatives from Commonwealth, and state and territory governments.
In June, the Premier, the Hon. Mark McGowan MLA, signed the Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap – 2019 to 2029.
The Partnership Working Group, comprised of representatives from the Coalition of Peaks and governments is progressing development of a new national agreement on Closing the Gap for endorsement through the Joint Council partnership mechanism.