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The National Cabinet, the Australian Local Government Association, and a coalition of peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations (the Coalition of Peaks) will tomorrow announce
a new national agreement aimed at improving the quality of life for the country's Indigenous communities. "It is a pledge from all governments to change the way they work with
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations through four Priority Reforms that were overwhelmingly supported during the community engagements led by the Coalition of
Peaks late last year," they said in a statement. The landmark roadmap agreement promises to create new partnerships between governments and Indigenous communities, boost community-run
organisations, tackle structural racism and increase the sharing of information to help decision making in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups. Each area will
also have a set target to work toward each year, reported publicly, and to keep the country's leaders accountable to their promises. The agreement also sets out 16 additional target
areas governments and peak groups will work on to improve life outcomes for Indigenous Australians, including education, employment, justice, health and housing. "Our country has
unforgivable gaps in the life outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians in all aspects of life," Pat Turner, the lead convenor of the Coalition of
Peaks, said in a statement. "These gaps have burdened our people and caused the erosion of health and well-being of generations of First Nations Australians. "The National
Agreement represents a turning point in our country's efforts to close these gaps." Mr Turner said the agreement marks the first time in Australia's history a national plan
has been designed based on negotiations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The new agreement comes after talks with more than 4000 Indigenous Australians. The agreement also comes
alongside a politically turbulent backdrop in Australia, and around the world, of Black Lives Matters protests that have consistently called for justice and equality for the nation's
Indigenous populations. Opposition Leader, Anthony Albanese backed the plan, saying the incarceration rates "bring shame on our nation". He said Labor was committed to working with
the government on the targets. "We simply have to do better in the future," he said. "Advances in this, will benefit the nation as a whole." Shadow Minister for Families
and Social Services, MP Linda Burnie, said: "No one should underestimate the size of the task in front of us". She said the targets "must be backed by money, action and
accountability".