Stronger Futures policy facts for kids

The Stronger Futures policy was a plan by the Australian government. It aimed to help Aboriginal people living in the Northern Territory. This plan was based on a law called the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory Act 2012. This law was put in place on June 29, 2012, and was set to last for 10 years.

On November 23, 2011, the idea for the Stronger Futures law was brought to the Parliament of Australia. This was done by Jenny Macklin, who was a government minister at the time. The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, also supported the plan. The policy wanted to fix important issues in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. These issues included people not having jobs, low school attendance, safety problems, and housing needs. Before this policy, there were other similar plans, like "Building Stronger Regions, Stronger Futures" and the "New Local Government" policy. There was also the Northern Territory National Emergency Response Act 2007.

The Stronger Futures law kept some key parts of the Northern Territory National Emergency Response Act 2007. It included several bills, which are like drafts of laws. These were the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory Bill of 2011, and others that helped make it work. The new law aimed to make these measures last longer and cover more areas. The Stronger Futures law was passed in the House of Representatives on February 27, 2012. It was then passed by the Senate on June 29, 2012. The Australian Government said they talked with Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory to help create the Stronger Futures plan.

However, some groups like Amnesty International and Concerned Citizens of Australia did not agree with the policy. A public group called the Stand for Freedom campaign spoke out against this law. They said many parts of the law were unfair. They felt the law continued to give the Australian Government too much control over Aboriginal people and their lands. They also said that the talks with Aboriginal communities were not good enough. They felt the decisions made often did not match what the communities truly wanted.

Working Together for Stronger Regions

The "Building Stronger Regions, Stronger Futures" policy started on May 3, 2003. It was launched by Jack Ah Kit, a minister in the Northern Territory Government. This policy aimed to bring together the Northern Territory Government and Indigenous leaders. They wanted to create a better way for regions to be governed. They also wanted to improve how services were given out in the Northern Territory.

Before this policy, many small councils in the Northern Territory faced difficulties. They often relied a lot on non-Aboriginal staff for basic needs. There were also concerns about how some local governments were managed. To fix this, the policy created larger regional groups. It also combined smaller local governments into twenty bigger, more stable councils. These new regional groups would help with local development. They needed support from the people living there. They also provided ways for decisions to be made and for people to vote.

The Local Government Act of 1978 helped set up these new groups. This older law had already created ways for communities in remote areas of the Northern Territory to govern themselves. It also encouraged local governments in Aboriginal communities. The new policy also worked on helping these groups become better at managing things. This included improving how they checked money and services. It also involved having development officers and stronger management in local and regional areas.

In 2004, after the first year of this policy, the Australian Government made a big change. They closed down the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). ATSIC was a national group where Indigenous Australians could elect their own representatives. When ATSIC was closed, Indigenous people in the Northern Territory had less say in the national government. So, the regional governments were then seen as a new way for them to have a voice.

In mid-2005, the Northern Territory and the Australian Government made an agreement. This agreement talked about their shared goals. It also explained the plans of the "Building Stronger Regions, Stronger Futures" policy. These plans included:

• Making sure people had fair and effective ways to be represented.
• Setting up Regional Authorities. These would be formed by combining community councils. This would happen after a lot of talks with communities. The goal was for these new groups to truly reflect what local people wanted.
• Combining community councils into these Regional Authorities. This was to help solve problems with size. It also aimed to improve how services were delivered. It wanted to reduce how often staff changed. And it aimed to make sure there was better planning for community growth.

This agreement explained what the regional authorities were meant to achieve. However, by late 2006, the "Building Stronger Regions, Stronger Futures" policy was replaced. It was changed to the "New Local Government Policy." This happened because government officials found it hard to fit Indigenous ideas about local government and decision-making into the policy. The policy's way of talking things through took a lot of time. It also used up many resources for both governments.

New Local Government Policy

In 2006, the Australian Government started the "New Local Government Policy." This policy made it a rule to have regional areas in the Northern Territory. It set up nine regions, which were called shires. Each shire was meant to have one main way of being governed. This was like a "one size fits all" approach.

This new policy was not as flexible as the "Building Stronger Regions, Stronger Futures" policy. It did not focus as much on Indigenous ways of governing. It also did not fully consider Indigenous systems and cultural areas within the shire structure.

To get some input from Indigenous people, the policy created 'transitional committees'. Through these committees, the Australian Government could give advice about the shires. Also, non-Indigenous people and other groups could take part.