Coordinator General for remote Indigenous services

The Prime Minister will appoint a Coordinator General to drive the Australian Government’s commitment to closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

The national position will be responsible for the implementation of major reforms in remote housing, infrastructure and employment in remote communities.

The Rudd Government is determined to address the appalling living conditions in remote Indigenous communities.

Decent housing and adequate infrastructure is essential for protecting children, improving health, education and employment and re-building community norms.

The Coordinator General’s role will be to deliver real results for Indigenous Australians.

They will report directly to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs and will work closely with Indigenous people, community groups, industry and government organisations to make in-roads on our national targets for closing the gap.

The Coordinator General will be given the authority to coordinate across agencies, to cut through bureaucratic blockages and red tape, and to make sure services are delivered effectively.

The new position will build on the Council of Australian Government’s $291 million agreement to reform remote service delivery.

The new model of remote service delivery will be rolled out from this year in 26 communities across Cape York, the APY Lands, the Kimberley region and 15 communities in the Northern Territory.

The model will be extended to other communities once it has been successfully implemented in the first 26 regions.

This is part of the historic $4.6 billion package of initiatives announced at COAG to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.