The National Agreement on Closing the Gap (National Agreement) came into effect on 27 July 2020.
Significantly, this is the first National Agreement to be developed in genuine equal partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, through their representatives on the national Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations (Coalition of Peaks).
All parties to the agreement have committed to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people towards a future where policies and programs that impact on their lives are carried out in genuine partnership.
The National Agreement contains:
- Four key Priority Reform Areas for transforming how governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; and
- 17 socio-economic targets to focus efforts to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander outcomes.
A summary of the key components of the National Agreement are found at:
What is in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap?.
National Agreement on Closing the Gap – July 2020
Knowing we are making a difference
Under the National Agreement, all parties have committed to key reporting and accountability measures to enable transparency to all Australians of how the socioeconomic outcomes and priority reforms are being embedded into Government policies, strategies, and partnerships.
The two key reporting mechanisms are the Implementation Plan and the Annual Report.
WA Government's Closing the Gap Implementation Plan
Since the signing of the National Agreement in 2020, the WA Government has released two Implementation Plans developed in consultation with the Aboriginal Advisory Council WA and our Coalition of Peaks jurisdictional partner, the Aboriginal Health Council of WA. The two implementation plans align closely with the Aboriginal Empowerment Strategy 2021-2029, which sets the WA Government’s approach for working with Aboriginal people towards empowerment and better outcomes.
The WA Government released its first Closing the Gap Implementation Plan in 2021.
Closing the Gap Implementation Plan September 2021
The second implementation plan, released in 2023, outlines new initiatives and key strategies the WA Government will implement to drive progress towards the socioeconomic outcomes and priority reforms as outlined in the National Agreement.
WA Government Closing the Gap Implementation Plan 2023-2025
Annual Report on Closing the Gap 2022
Each year the parties, including the WA Government, create an Annual Report to be tabled in parliament to outline the progress made on policies and programs outlined in the Implementation Plan. This is to ensure progress under the National Agreement is measured consistently and parties are kept accountable to the outcomes of the National Agreement.
The Annual Report draws on data provided by the Productivity Commission, and tracks WA’s progress against the Priority Reforms and socioeconomic targets in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
Annual Report on Closing the Gap 2023
The WA Government’s Annual Report on Closing the Gap 2023 reports on Western Australia’s progress and actions in Closing the Gap between September 2022 – September 2023. Drawing on the latest data provided by the Productivity Commission, the Annual Report highlights Western Australia’s progress against the four Priority Reforms and 17 social economic outcomes under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
The Annual Report was developed in consultation and collaboration with all WA Government agencies, demonstrating the extent to which Closing the Gap is truly everybody’s business. We are also grateful to our key strategic partner, the Aboriginal Advisory Council of WA, and our Coalition of Peaks partner, the Aboriginal Health Council of WA for their feedback and input.
Aboriginal Expenditure Review
The Aboriginal Expenditure Review is a commitment under the National Agreement to review and identify the WA Government’s spending on Aboriginal programs and services. This is published on an annual basis by the Department of Treasury.
