Assistant Minister Thwaites doorstop interview, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, Ballarat

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP INTERVIEW

SUBJECTS: Outcomes Fund partnership in Victoria; supporting Aboriginal employment initiatives; summer preparedness; Victoria's Koori Caucus.

JOURNALIST: Why is this such an important fund?

KATE THWAITES, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY, AGEING AND WOMEN: The Outcomes Fund is a new approach from the Federal Government. It's really us saying we want to work with community to get good outcomes and match those community needs, in particular in this case First Nations' community needs. Often, what happens with government programs is we do fund a specific program or project. What we're saying in this case is we'll fund an outcome and we want the community to work out how best we get to that. That's why it's so wonderful that we're able to partner with the Victorian Government and with local communities to drive Aboriginal employment and the Aboriginal economy through all of this work. It's a $7.84 million dollar investment from the Federal Government matched by $7.84 million dollars from the Victorian Government. I'm very confident we're going to see some wonderful outcomes from this.

JOURNALIST: And why is this opportunity for First Nations people and communities so vital, for them to drive their own choices?

THWAITES: We know that First Nations people understand their communities in a way that governments may struggle to understand the communities. And there is a thriving history and tradition of First Nations people growing their own economies, having their own employment opportunities. What we're looking to do here is to support that work, to support these hubs and the work that First Nations people are doing are to drive economic and employment opportunities.

JOURNALIST: This is an unrelated question to this announcement, but we've seen some heatwaves across Australia so far. Are you aware if there are any plans for more support for rough sleepers, in particular to deal with the heat, if we see more heat waves across the summer?

THWAITES: Well certainly we have had some hot weather here in Victoria. There's hot weather around the country at the moment, from a Federal Government perspective, we certainly work very closely with our state and local counterparts to make sure that people are supported through that period. That includes joint work at an emergency level but also joint work at a support level. My colleague Federal Minister Jenny McAllister would be able to give you more details on that. But certainly we work together with state and local governments.

JOURNALIST: Just confirming this program, is it nationwide? And so other states will also have tailored solutions to their communities?

THWAITES: The Outcomes Fund is a $100 million fund that the Commonwealth has set up. This is one of the first projects we're announcing under it. Minister Rishworth also announced another project in South Australia yesterday, so we will see programs around the country. We do want to explore this approach across the country, of working with communities. Working with First Nations communities. Making sure that we are driving outcomes in communities that meet those needs.

JOURNALIST: What are the next steps? Particularly here in Ballarat?

THWAITES: I'll hand over to Vicki Ward to talk through the next steps.

VICKI WARD, VICTORIAN MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT AND PREVENTION OF FAMILY VIOLENCE: Next steps will be that ongoing work that the Aboriginal Economic Development team at the DJSIR [Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions]. They will work through with our federal colleagues, and we're absolutely welcome this investment from the Albanese Federal Government into Victoria, into our economy because I think we need to be really clear that these are economic hubs. This is about creating prosperity for our first people, as well as, for the wider community. It is about investing in ideas, it's about investing in jobs, it's about investing an opportunities. This is something for the Traditional Owner Corporations to work through, to work out what best suits their individual community, and the individual economic needs of those communities. I'll hand over to Liz to add further to that.

LIZ ALLEN, DEPUTY CHAIR VICTORIA KOORI CAUCUS: The Koori Caucus sits within the Department, at DJSIR, and supports the Aboriginal Economic Development Unit. And we're absolutely pleased to be able to have the investment today from the Commonwealth and the State. And have a Koori Caucus self-determined lens across what the money or the outcomes of those programs or initiatives will actually be. It's also enhancing and supporting the traditional owners and the current economy that they bring into the regions. It supports and uplifts local employers, local businesses, and all for Aboriginal employment outcomes. Helping to meet the demand of the workforce and industry needs that are out there. This will be an essential hub that people, employees, community, can actually reach out to feel safe and also source Aboriginal employees.

WARD: So next year, expressions of interest will be generated from traditional corporations as they are ready to do. And we'll continue to work through as this will roll out.

JOURNALIST: Do you have an idea of how much money is coming to Ballarat?

WARD: So this will all be determined based on what people put forward and what those needs are. So at the moment that hasn't been determined because it is still the start of a conversation, so we started with the announcement of responding from the Albanese Government to match with that of the Allan state government which we welcome and that money will be allocated throughout next year.

JOURNALIST: May I just confirm something? Is the Koori Caucus only Victoria?

ALLEN: Under the state government we have the Yuma Yirramboi Strategy, within that formed a group of special expert advisers in the economy and employment. So currently we have six advisers and we work very closely with the secretaries within DJSIR and it's governed to support the implementation of Yuma Yirramboi. So we have six pillars. Mostly it's around welcoming prosperity, access and inclusion and pathways for Aboriginal people to participate in the economy.

JOURNALIST: So based on your work at that statewide caucus. Can you talk a bit about maybe how different the needs of a community say in Gippsland are to Ballarat when it comes to employment. Like is that why there's this need for really tailored solutions across each of the corporations?

ALLEN: I think it's very clear that the previous Commonwealth and some state services, employment services, have had a broad-brush approach to engaging and supporting Aboriginal people into employment. What this does is enables those regions to determine what's best for them. So, for example, Gippsland is a hub of clean energy, renewable energy, so there might be some support there to help First Nations and Aboriginal locals to be able to work within that industry to meet the demands. In other areas, it could be looking at industries such as aquaculture and other circular economy areas, so it doesn't answer the question fully. But it's a broad brush approach and the actual places will determine what's best for them in the industry. Traditional owners already partner with state government and Commonwealth under traditional owner rights and recognition so within that and the legislation or the partnerships that they have with State and Commonwealth departments, this will just elevate and support some of that.

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