The Victorian Government continues to consult widely on its approach to implementing recommendations
This progress report outlines how government is progressing each of the Report’s 43 recommendations either supported, supported-in-principle or under consideration. It is the culmination of implementation planning and collaboration between several Victorian Government departments and agencies throughout 2024. The government is committed to ongoing systemic change, building upon years of structural reforms progressed by community, the First Peoples sector and government.
Implementation principles
As set out in the State Response, to ensure that meaningful change can be delivered in line with the intent of the Commission’s recommendations, the Victorian Government developed the following guiding principles for implementation:
- Sequencing the implementation of recommendations in a pragmatic way; for example, prioritising those where resourcing is available now, or delivering reforms where it is foundational to other reforms
- Partnering with Aboriginal and other sector stakeholders to accurately refine the scope of delivery, ensuring that the intent of recommendations is met
- Using innovative funding models that enable desired outcomes of recommendations to be delivered in a sustainable way, over time and across budget cycles
- Building on and leveraging existing investment and resourcing to maximise efficiencies and benefits
- Working collaboratively across multiple departments and/or non-government bodies so that reforms can be long-term and structural, and not piecemeal or in siloes.
As a result, the government has given serious consideration to how each recommendation will be most effectively implemented to achieve sustainable and transformational change. Implementation of several recommendations has been able to progress more quickly and comprehensively than others, and in some cases, government has revised its position for these recommendations to ‘support’ or ‘support in principle’. The majority of recommendations remain supported-in-principle due to the scale and complexity of the change recommended and the significant investment required. For some recommendations requiring extensive resourcing and increased workforce capacity, government has developed an approach that is staged and responsive to varying need and capacity across the state.
The State Response noted that several recommendations were categorised as under consideration due to the need for further analysis of implications for current and future policy or legislative programs, and further consultation with Aboriginal organisations and governance forums, government departments and other relevant stakeholders. The progress of this analysis and consultation has led to three under consideration recommendations now being reclassified as support or support in principle, while others still require further work.
Implementation timeframes
In Yoorrook for Justice, the Commission was clear that it expected the government to immediately commence work to implement the urgent recommendations made in the Report over a 12-month period. The government committed to delivering the transformative change needed and doing so in a considered and collaborative way together with First Peoples communities, recognising that achieving these goals will extend beyond the Commission’s proposed 12-month timeframe. Government has already implemented some recommendations and is working towards the imminent implementation of others. However, as noted above, some recommendations will require additional time to consider design, planning and implementation issues.
Ongoing reporting and monitoring
This progress report captures point-in-time information. However, as acknowledged, reforms and systemic change takes many years. The Victorian Government will consider mechanisms to accurately and transparently demonstrate progress over time on the implementation of each Yoorrook for Justice recommendation and recommendations from the Commission’s remaining reports.
Governance arrangements
Responsibility for implementing Yoorrook for Justice recommendations has been assigned to relevant Ministers and agencies. This includes the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, Attorney General, Minister for Children, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Health, Minister for Police and Minister for Youth Justice.
Relevant agencies implementing recommendations are DPC, the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH), Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS), Department of Health (DH) and Victoria Police.
Existing governance structures and arrangements, including the Yoorrook Justice Commission Interdepartmental Committee which oversees the State’s response to the truth-telling process, will continue until the end of the Commission’s term. Longer term governance arrangements will be established to ensure cross-portfolio oversight of implementation of Commission recommendations.
The Victorian Government’s engagement and implementation approach is guided by the principles of self-determination
Government recognises that true self-determination can only be achieved when led by Aboriginal people. Victoria’s Treaty process is the embodiment of First Peoples’ self-determination and iterative steps towards self-determination must continue to occur alongside this.
Victorian Government agencies will continue to work with their respective stakeholder groups to enable First Peoples self-determination, including:
- the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria
- the Aboriginal Children’s Forum
- the Aboriginal Justice Caucus
- the Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Partnership Forum, and
- ongoing partnerships with ACCOs and other sector stakeholders.
The Aboriginal Justice Caucus and First Peoples member organisations of the Aboriginal Children’s Forum have been critical partners of the Victorian Government for many years. Significant achievements have been made possible through the leadership and accomplishments of these partners, who play a vital role in directing and delivering better outcomes.
Embedded in the Report recommendations themselves is a self-determined approach, with particular recommendations calling on government to partner with Aboriginal organisations and engage Aboriginal businesses and consultants in the development of policies and programs.
As articulated in the Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework 2018–2025, self-determination is the guiding principle of the Victorian Government’s approach to Aboriginal affairs, underpinning all policy and reform actions. Guided by the Commission and First Peoples, government is addressing recommendations in accordance with its commitment to enable and facilitate self-determination. We know that self-determined approaches lead to the best outcomes.
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