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Senate Select Committee on Regional and Remote Indigenous Communities

Inquiry process

The select committee is due to report twice each year over the current parliament.

The committee has changed its reporting dates to 15 June and 26 November 2009 and is now taking submissions until Monday, 16 October 2009.

The committee's terms of reference are very broad and cover a range of subjects. These include Commonwealth government policies that are specific to the Northern Territory Emergency Response, the wellbeing and safety of children and the involvement of the Commonwealth, state and territory governments in regional and remote Indigenous communities.

In its first report of 30 September 2008 the committee provided an overview of the breadth of issues that had been raised with them by communities, organisations, business and industry as well as individuals living and working in regional and remote Indigenous communities. The committee also reported on the following themes that arose out of submissions and during community visits:

  • A perceived need for a greater investment in people, resources and infrastructure to meet the needs and aspirations of regional and remote communities;

  • A commitment from state , territory and Commonwealth governments to long term relationships and partnerships with Indigenous people and communities as way of solving entrenched problems;

  • Ability of government programs to be tailored to the needs and strengths of communities, not the other way around;

  • Increased accountability of bureaucracies to Indigenous people and communities; and

  • A perceived lack of awareness of the serious nature of the issues confronting people living in regional and remote Indigenous communities.

The committee will consider these issues further in their reports for this year and will also focus on the impact of the Northern Territory Emergency Response.

The select committee looks forward to receiving submissions and information about any or all of its terms of reference and will be visiting regional and remote Indigenous communities during 2009 to make sure it is well informed about issues related to the inquiry.

Submissions do not need to be long, and arrangements can be made for people who are not able to make a written submission to provide this by telephone. Please contact the committee secretariat for more information.

Senator the Hon Nigel Scullion
Chair

For further information, contact:

Committee Secretary
Senate Select Committee on Regional and Remote Indigenous Communities
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia

Phone: +61 2 6277 3433   Freecall 1800 728 963
Fax: +61 2 6277 5809
Email: indig.sen@aph.gov.au

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