Action plan by South Australian government in 2019 to reduce the number of Aboriginal children in its care
South Australian child protection department documents relating to the its Aboriginal action plan will feature art produced by Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara artist Elizabeth Close and Ochre Dawn Creative Industries, led by Peramangk and Ngarrindjeri woman Rebecca Wessels.
Image courtesy South Australian department of child protection
The South Australian child protection department introduced its first Aboriginal action plan in 2019 to help reduce the high number of Aboriginal young people and children coming into government care.
The plan aims for children and family members to be part of decisions made about them and that the department works with Aboriginal organisations to ensure children and young people keep links to family, community and culture.
As part of the plan, the South Australian child protection department signed an agreement with Narungga Nation Aboriginal Corporation, representing first peoples on the Yorke Peninsula. The department and Narungga Nation would work together on a designed process to reduce Narungga children in care.
This built on the Buthera Agreement by the Narungga Nation with the Labor state government in its last days in 2018. The Buthera Agreement was first step toward a state-based treaty, after a year of treaty commissioner Dr Roger Thomas sought Aboriginal South Australians’ views.
Narungga Nation Aboriginal Corporation chair Garry Goldsmith told the crowd at parliament house in Adelaide for the signing that the Buthera Agreement was symbolic and significant for the Narungga, South Australia, Aboriginal nations in general and non-Aboriginal Australians. The Buthera Agreement took only 12 weeks to negotiate but three Narungga women won more time in the supreme court for people to consider the agreement before it was accepted by the community.
The new Liberal state confirmed that the treaty would be scrapped and replaced with practical outcomes rather than symbols as a priority for Aboriginal communities in South Australia.
