MEDIA RELEASE
EMBARGOED until 12.01 am
Sunday, 20 December 2009
Better engagement with Indigenous Australians needed
on program development & delivery
Indigenous people in the Northern Territory should have been informed earlier than they
were about a government program to detect asbestos in local buildings, according to
Commonwealth Ombudsman Professor John McMillan.
The Ombudsman today released the findings of his investigation into information
provided to Indigenous communities about the asbestos surveys program, which was
undertaken by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and
Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) between November 2007 and September 2008.
‘In seeking to protect the health of people living in these communities by surveying for,
and removing—where it posed a risk—asbestos containing materials, FaHCSIA did not
attach sufficient importance to ensuring there was a coordinated flow of accurate and
consistent information to people affected by the surveys,’ Professor McMillan said.
‘The primary focus was on inspecting buildings, including community centres, schools
and homes. More emphasis should have been placed on providing an adequate
explanation to residents, employees and other locals of what was happening and when
they would get the survey results.’
Professor McMillan acknowledged that FaHCSIA was able to demonstrate to his office
its intention to let communities know how it would proceed when all the survey results
became available. However, he was critical that FaHCSIA did not act earlier, especially
given the Government’s commitment in May 2008 to remove all asbestos from
communities within 12 months.
‘The longer people are left without specific information about whether their houses and
community buildings contain asbestos, the longer they are at risk of inadvertently
disturbing it,’ he said.
‘There is no doubt that communicating effectively with Indigenous people living in remote
communities is challenging. The residents’ information needs prior to the survey results
should have been anticipated and a better strategy for dealing with them put in place by
FaHCSIA.’
Professor McMillan recommended that FaHCSIA review its approach to communicating
with Indigenous people in the Northern Territory, and undertook to monitor the
implementation of FaHCSIA’s information campaign about the planned removal of
asbestos from Indigenous communities.
He also reminded other Australian Government agencies to make engagement with
Indigenous people central to program design and delivery, as set out in the Council of
Australian Governments’ National Indigenous Reform Agreement and National
Partnership Agreement on Indigenous Remote Service Delivery.
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Media contact:
Fiona Skivington, Director Public Affairs
0408 861 803
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