Stronger Futures in the
Northern Territory
Report on Consultations
October 2011
Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory 1
Report on Consultations 1
October 2011 1
Table of Contents 3
Foreword 8
9
Executive Summary 10
Consultation approach 10
Key themes and messages 11
Individual measures 12
School attendance and educational achievement 12
Economic development and employment 12
Tackling alcohol abuse 13
Community safety 13
Health 14
Community stores 14
Housing 14
Governance 14
Structure of report 15
1. Introduction 16
Background 16
Discussion paper 16
Consultation process 17
Preparation and logistics 19
Communications materials 19
Interpreters 19
Oversight and assurance of the consultation process 19
Continuous improvement 20
Recording the views of participants 20
A template was developed to collect the feedback from the consultation meetings. The same template was used for Tier 1 and 2 meetings. The template included the discussion paper questions. The template was completed by the meeting facilitators and scribes from notes they took at the meetings. The feedback reports for Tier 2 meetings were taken back to communities for verification. 20
Limitations on interpretation of the consultation data 20
The consultations were a process of dialogue aimed at seeking a diverse range of views and ideas. The feedback reports and summaries from the consultations provided qualitative rather than quantitative information on the outcomes of the consultations. 20
Other issues raised by participants 21
The consultation process provided an opportunity for participants to raise any issue they wished with officials — for example, issues about the shires, gambling, substance misuse, houses, community facilities and roads were raised. Processes for follow-up and referral were put in place. 21
21
Follow-up on community feedback 21
2. Key Priority Areas for Action — What People Said 22
Context 22
School attendance and educational achievement 23
What are the key factors in getting children and young people in remote communities to go to school regularly? 23
How can we improve educational outcomes of young people in remote communities? 24
What can the Government do to encourage this, for example, through links to welfare payments? 26
How can parents be encouraged and assisted to better support and play a greater role in their children’s development, education and health? 28
How can schools and local communities improve access and participation in early childhood services? 28
How can we attract good teachers to remote schools and preschools, and retain them? 29
How would you like to be involved? 30
Other comments 31
Economic development and employment 32
How can the Government further improve employment and economic development opportunities in Northern Territory remote communities? 33
What changes can be made to remote participation and employment programs in the Northern Territory to increase economic participation? 35
What can be done to link jobseekers in Northern Territory communities with employment opportunities? 37
Tackling alcohol abuse 39
Will communities benefit from continuing the current Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) alcohol restrictions? 39
How could they (the NTER alcohol restrictions) be improved? 41
How can alcohol management plans (AMPs) be strengthened to ensure that there is a clear focus on reducing alcohol-related harm? 42
What other things should be done to reduce alcohol-related harm? 42
What can we do to reduce the supply of alcohol, including very cheap alcohol? 44
Other comments 46
Community safety and protection of children 47
What is the best way to make communities safer? 47
Which services make the most difference? Safe houses, police, community night patrols, child protection workers, better planning and use of existing services? 49
Safe houses 49
Police 50
Community night patrols 50
Child protection workers 51
Better planning and use of existing services 51
Should the current special measures about community safety continue? How could they be improved? 52
Other comments 52
Health 54
Have individuals, families and communities benefited from the expanded health services? 54
Which health programs and services are working well? 55
Which programs and services need to be improved? 56
Are there any health programs and services which are missing? 57
What else could be done to improve health outcomes in your community? 58
How would you like to be involved? 59
Food security 61
How can the current stores licensing arrangements be improved? 61
What other ways can we ensure that good quality food is available and affordable in communities? 61
What is the best way of supporting store committees to oversee their stores? What is the best way of combining strong business and retail experience with strong community ownership? 64
Other comments: income management 65
Housing 67
How could we improve the way housing is provided and managed in remote locations? 67
Leasing 70
What kind of expanded role could community housing service providers have? 70
How can greater private home ownership be encouraged? 71
Other comments 71
Governance 72
How can people in communities have a better say about what is happening in communities? 72
How can governments work better with community? 73
What are the most important aspects of community governance? 74
Other comments 76
3. Public Meetings 77
School attendance and educational achievement 77
Economic development and employment 78
Tackling alcohol abuse 79
Community safety and the protection of children 79
Health 80
Food security 80
Housing 80
Governance 80
Appendices 81
Appendix 1: Consultation guide 81
Following are the questions on each of the key priority areas in the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory discussion paper which were used as a guide to focus and structure the community consultations and public meetings. 81
School attendance and educational achievement 81
Economic development and employment 81
Tackling alcohol abuse 81
Community safety and protection of children 81
Health 82
Food security 82
Housing 82
Governance 82
Appendix 2: Community consultations — participating communities 82
Notes: 85
Appendix 3: Meetings with stakeholder organisations and individuals 86
Appendix 4 90
stronger futures in the northern territory 90
report on consultations 90
Appendix 5: Reference documents 91
Foreword 5
Executive Summary 7
Consultation approach 7
Key themes and messages 8
Individual measures 9
Structure of report 12
1. Introduction 13
Background 13
Discussion paper 13
Consultation process 14
2. Key Priority Areas for Action — What People Said 19
Context 19
School attendance and educational achievement 20
What are the key factors in getting children and young people in remote
communities to go to school regularly? 20
How can we improve educational outcomes of young people in remote
communities? 21
What can the Government do to encourage this, for example, through links
to welfare payments? 23
How can parents be encouraged and assisted to better support and play a
greater role in their children’s development, education and health? 25
How can schools and local communities improve access and participation in
early childhood services? 25
How can we attract good teachers to remote schools and preschools, and
retain them? 26
How would you like to be involved? 27
Economic development and employment 29
How can the Government further improve employment and economic
development opportunities in Northern Territory remote communities? 30
What changes can be made to remote participation and employment programs in
the Northern Territory to increase economic participation? 32
What can be done to link jobseekers in Northern Territory communities with
employment opportunities? 34
Tackling alcohol abuse 36
Will communities benefit from continuing the current Northern Territory
Emergency Response (NTER) alcohol restrictions? 36
How could they (the NTER alcohol restrictions) be improved? 38
How can alcohol management plans (AMPs) be strengthened to ensure that there
is a clear focus on reducing alcohol-related harm? 39
What other things should be done to reduce alcohol-related harm? 39
What can we do to reduce the supply of alcohol, including very cheap alcohol? 41
Community safety and protection of children 44
What is the best way to make communities safer? 44
Which services make the most difference? Safe houses, police, community night
patrols, child protection workers, better planning and use of existing services? 46
Safe houses 46
Police 47
Community night patrols 47
Child protection workers 48
Better planning and use of existing services 48
Others?
Should the current special measures about community safety continue?
How could they be improved? 48
Health 51
Have individuals, families and communities benefited from the expanded
health services? 51
Which health programs and services are working well? 52
Which programs and services need to be improved? 53
Are there any health programs and services which are missing? 54
What else could be done to improve health outcomes in your community? 55
How would you like to be involved? 56
Food security 58
How can the current stores licensing arrangements be improved? 58
What other ways can we ensure that good quality food is available and affordable in communities? 58
What is the best way of supporting store committees to oversee their stores?
What is the best way of combining strong business and retail experience with strong community ownership? 61
Housing 64
How could we improve the way housing is provided and managed in
remote locations? 64
Leasing 67
What kind of expanded role could community housing service providers have? 67
How can greater private home ownership be encouraged? 68
Governance 69
How can people in communities have a better say about what is happening in communities? 69
How can governments work better with community? 70
What are the most important aspects of community governance? 71
3. Public Meetings 74
Appendices 78
1. Consultation guide 78
2. Community consultations — participating communities 80
3. Meetings with stakeholder organisations and individuals 83
4. Assurance letter 86
5. Reference documents 87
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