Weekly News In Review

The NSW Aboriginal Land Council says the Minns Government has failed to deliver a genuine partnership, shared decision-making and accountability.

They have now pulled out of Closing the Gap discussions.

The state's Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations says the government needs to back it's commitment with action.

Other Highlights:

• Australians feeding birds in their yards are being urged to stop, with H5 bird flu continui...

The search of an Indigenous teenager who was removed from a bus at gunpoint could have been illegal.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman has found that racial bias may have been involved in the arrest of a 17-year-old boy in Canberra last year.

Other Highlights:

• A new report finds Queensland Indigenous radio is more trusted than the ABC in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
• Motor neurone disease will be tracked in New S...

While vaccination programs are being established to protect wildlife from the H5 bird flu, there are calls to boost existing biodiversity management programs.

Indigenous rangers are calling for more funding to deal with threats that are already killing Australian wildlife.

Other Highlights:

• New data show Indigenous people are being searched for knifes more often in Queensland.
• Almost 300 marine scientists come together to call...

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has heard government policies often cause divisions between communities.

The royal commission has focused on social cohesion and community relations in its last hearing block this week.

Other highlights:

• A guide has been launched to create more culturally aware workplaces for First Nations employees.
• Indigenous Elders, leaders and innovative programs have been recognised...

An inquiry investigating racism and hatred directed at First Nations people is reviewing more than 700 submissions. 

It's heard first hand accounts of how systemic racism is affecting the everyday lives of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders.

Other Highlights:

• Western Australia's police trial of AI facial recognition technology has been described as disturbing and inappropriate.
• Calls for an overhaul the telecom...

Over 60 per cent of Indigenous students in the Northern Territory need extra support with reading and numeracy. 

That's according to the latest NAPLAN test results.

In other states and the ACT that figure is around 33 per cent. 

It's led to calls for a change to the education system especially for Indigenous students who speak English as a second language. 

Other stories in this episode include:

• Former Northern ...

Governments are being urged to invest in community-led solutions to get more Closing the Gap targets on track.

The annual data from this year's Closing the Gap report shows that only one target - pre-school enrolment - has been met.

Four targets are worsening: adult imprisonment, suicide, children in out-of-home care and children who are developmentally on track.

Other topics in this week’s episode include.

• Kids Helpline...

The Northern Territory Government has successfully passed controversial legislation this week, making it easier to place Indigenous children with non-Indigenous families.

The move has been condemned by Indigenous leaders and prompted the resignation of a leading advocate.

Other highlights:

• Criticism of the Albanese government's response to the Islamophobia Envoy's report.
• The renaming of a federal electorate to honour prominen...

Waiting for a student to be ready to learn is one of the approaches that has helped an Aboriginal school in Perth dramatically change educational outcomes.

Karen Auguston is the principal of Djidi Djidi Aboriginal School which started making changes to the way they engage with their students four years ago.

She spoke to NIRS about other changes they've implemented.

Also in the Weekly News in Review:

• WWF are calling for more In...

The irony of asserting her cultural rights during NAIDOC week isn't lost on Ruby Langford.

She's been in Hobart Magistrates Court fighting trespass charges.  Ms Langford was attending an anti-logging protest at Snow Hill, in Tasmania's northern midlands when she was arrested.

She talked about the case which has been adjourned to September.  

Mparntwe (Alice Springs) Town Camps are often the focus of mainstream media ...

New laws that have started this week give the National Indigenous Children's Commissioner the powers she needs to do her job.

The laws cement Commissioner Sue-Anne Hunter's role in advocating for Indigenous children and holding governments accountable.

Other Highlights:

• There are fears that proposed changes to the Crown Land Management Act in New South Wales will weaken Aboriginal land rights.
• Controversial police knife-wandin...

The family of 17-year-old Indigenous boy who died in 1988 is relieved following the outcome of an inquest into his death.

NSW Deputy Coroner, Harriet Grahame has found racist attitudes affected the police investigation into the death of Mark Haines.

She found the investigation was flawed and it's likely Mark's case would have been handled differently if he was white.

Other Highlights:

• There's been a 350 per cent increase in th...

There's been a trend across the Queensland Government which has seen Indigenous leadership roles removed. 

The most recent examples include two Indigenous roles in the state’s biggest health boards that are now vacant and there’s no plans to replace them.

The trend is known as project invisibility.

Other stories from this week include: 

•  The National Justice Project raises concerns over changes to th...

Two leading children and young people advocates have voiced their concerns about changes to child protection systems in the Northern Territory and Queensland.  

SNAICC and the National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child and Young People have both come out to respond to the final report and recommendations of Queensland's Commission of Inquiry into the child safety system.  

SNAICC CEO, ...

An Indigenous legal service has welcomed a proposed change to the way police officers use body worn cameras in New South Wales.

It comes off the back of a media report highlighting police brutality and misconduct.

Other Highlights:

• There's been a call for Brisbane's Lord Mayor to resign over the actions of council staff at the Goori Camp Embassy in Barrambin/Victoria Park.
• An open letter calls on the Prime Minister to commit m...

Only five of the Bringing them Home report’s 83 recommendations have been implemented – 29 years after it was written.

Now the Healing Foundation has released a new plan - 'From Sorry to Action - a Plan to Act on Bringing them Home'.

The plan outlines ways to implement the remaining recommendations.

Other Highlights:

• A 39 day walk has delivered a call for a national truth telling inquiry to the Prime Minister in Ca...

Australia is dealing with its worst Diphtheria outbreak on record. 

Over 130 people have been affected in the Northern Territory alone with Aboriginal people accounting for 95 per cent of recent cases. 

The federal government has set aside over $7 million to help the NT government and Aboriginal organisations address the outbreak. 

Other stories this week include: 

• The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre has writte...

Cost of living, energy, housing and healthcare were the main focus points of this week's federal budget. 

Some Indigenous leaders have highlighted the lack of funding to address key issues in communities across the country.

The Federal Government says over a billion dollars will be spent on Closing the Gap measures over the next five years.

But advocates say there's no money for Indigenous legal services and no support for Sto...

Vigils have been held across the country this week in memory of Kumanjayi Little Baby.

The five-year-old girl's body was found last week after an intensive five day search around Alice Springs.

Her death made waves across the nation and mourners turned out on Thursday to remember the Warlpiri girl.

Other Highlights:

• Governments have been called on focus on education instead of locking up children.
• A program helping Indigenous ...