Foreword

Western Australia has changed enormously in less than a lifetime. Fifty years ago, whaling and logging were key industries in the South West and iron ore had just started to trickle out of the Port of Dampier. The State comprised 800,000 people but, as in the rest of Australia, the Census legally excluded the Aboriginal people who had lived here for some 40,000 years.

Today, whale-watching and forest walks are international tourist attractions. Dampier is the second-largest bulk export port in the world. Global demand for steel and energy has generated unprecedented investment, jobs and wealth. The State’s population has tripled to 2.6 million and international migration has turned Perth into Australia’s most diverse capital.

Western Australia’s State Constitution now acknowledges Aboriginal people as the first people and traditional custodians of the land. However, social and economic progress has been slower. Aboriginal people remain generally poorer, less educated, less healthy and more dependent on welfare than other West Australians. Overall, these outcomes are worse in the regions and much worse in remote areas.

These are not recent problems—they’ve been in the making for more than 50 years. Without action, without change, there’s a real risk that Aboriginal people in remote areas will be excluded for another 50 years from the opportunities available to other West Australians. This is a risk that the Liberal- National Government is not prepared to take. This is why the Government has committed to long-term reform.

We believe that all Aboriginal children in regional and remote areas should be well-nurtured and kept safe, be well-educated through to adulthood, have access to employment, and have the skills, hope and resilience to fulfil their life aspirations.

Our vision for the regions is for Aboriginal families to be more resilient and for Aboriginal communities to be stronger. This document is called ‘a roadmap’ because it sets out the direction to achieve this vision and provides immediate steps to start the journey.

Change will take time and some of it will be hard. There are no quick fixes. We recognise that in this change, government, communities and families all have their own responsibilities and roles to play. Government will walk alongside Aboriginal people towards a single destination. We are committed to the journey, and invite you to be part of it.

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