NACCHO's Perspective On Poverty In Australia: A Submission To The Australian Senate.pdf

A NACCHO Submission

## Overview

This submission by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) provides a comprehensive overview of poverty among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, highlighting its causes, consequences, and potential solutions. Founded on the principles of cultural safety and community control, NACCHO advocates for systemic changes to address the deep-rooted inequities faced by Indigenous Australians.

## About NACCHO

NACCHO is a national peak body representing 145 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) across Australia. Established in response to the urgent healthcare needs of Redfern's Aboriginal population in 1971, ACCHOs have since grown into a vital network providing primary health care, integrating services, and promoting cultural safety. With over 3.1 million episodes of care annually, NACCHO members serve approximately 410,000 people, including many in remote regions.

## Key Findings and Recommendations

1. Constitutional Recognition: NACCHO advocates for the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of Australia, a step towards acknowledging their ongoing connection to land and culture.

2. National Agreement on Closing the Gap: Comprehensive implementation of the four Priority Reforms is essential to address critical areas such as health, education, employment, and housing disparities.

3. Health Expenditure: Increased funding for Indigenous health is crucial, aiming for a level commensurate with the burden of disease faced by these communities.

4. Expansion of ACCHOs: Funding should be allocated to expand Aboriginal community-controlled health services, ensuring their continued success in delivering culturally safe care.

5. Housing as Primordial Prevention: Major investment in housing is proposed as a critical measure to combat intergenerational poverty and health issues within Indigenous communities.

6. Preventive Health Programs: NACCHO emphasizes the need for environmental health initiatives led by ACCHOs, focusing on the social determinants of health.

7. 'Health in All Policies' Approach: Governments should adopt this approach, recognizing that health outcomes are influenced by various social, commercial, and cultural factors.

8. Restructuring Government Payments: Support payments should be reformed to ensure recipients can live above the poverty line, addressing systemic issues of financial hardship.

## Causes of Poverty

- Historical dispossession, marginalization, and racism have led to significant inequities.
- Structural impediments hinder full economic participation.
- Ongoing experiences of structural and interpersonal racism, discrimination, cultural dispossession, land rights issues, and intergenerational trauma contribute to poverty.

## Inquiries Informing Recommendations

This submission draws upon the insights from several key inquiries:

- Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (1991)
- Bringing them Home (1997) - Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Indigenous Children
- Social Justice Report 2005 (Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission)
- Inquiry into Indigenous Stolen Wages (2006)
- Language Learning in Indigenous Communities (2012)
- Pathways to Justice (2018) - Inquiry into the Incarceration Rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
- Other relevant inquiries on poverty, literacy, and social justice.