Overview

Indigenous employment in the NT  has fallen significantly since 2010, due in large part to the discontinuation of the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP), the lack of work opportunities following the end of the mining boom, the lack of transport infrastructure, low education levels and investment uncertainty due to land tenure changes. To learn more go to the Employment and Economic Participation  web page.

Improvements include the introduction of holistic programs to encourage early childhood enrolment, improved reading, writing and numeracy outcomes for Indigenous students and record year 12 completion rates. The NT still however lags significantly in Indigenous attendance levels, ability to meet national minimum education standards, completion of year 12 and year 12 results. Further, Indigenous students in remote areas continue to face serious barriers to education. To learn more go to the Education web page.

Improvements include a decrease in child mortality and a decreased life expectancy gap since the last evaluation. Nevertheless, the NT still has the highest rates of child mortality and the widest life expectancy gap in Australia. Further, Indigenous Australians continue to experience disproportionately high rates of chronic disease and mental illness. To learn more go to the Health and Life Expectancy web page.

Indigenous women still face the highest rates of domestic violence. Further, Indigenous children are still 8 times more likely than their non-Indigenous counterparts to receive child protection services, and 11 times more likely to be in out-of-home care in the NT.  However, there are some signs of positive change, including a recent reduction in assaults and some violent crimes.  This is likely to be contributed to by alcohol reduction programs, including floor prices for alcohol and a banned drinkers’ register. To learn more go to Safer communities web page.

Indigenous imprisonment rates continue to increase in the NT, with ATSI peoples accounting for over 80% of the prison population. Indigenous youth are also disproportionately represented in juvenile justice centres, and  subject to appalling and inhumane conditions. Governments have still not committed to a clear target to reduce incarceration rates. To learn more go to the Incarceration rates web page.

Measures in the NT have been highly criticised for their impact on human rights including the right to freedom from racial discimination, the right to self determination, the right to be consulted, the right to social security, the rights of children, and freedom from Genocide. To learn more go to the Overall Compliance web page.

Measures in the NT continue to wrongfully allow racial discrimination against Indigenous peoples under the guise of advancing other human rights. In part this is because these measures were implemented without  consultation and consent from Indigenous groups affected. To learn more go to the Special Measures web page.

Increasingly discriminatory employment measures are being exacted against Indigenous communities in the NT. The proposed introduction of a cashless debit card is likely to exacerbate this issue.  Overall, there is substantial evidence to suggest that racial discrimination against Indigenous peoples remains prevalent.  To learn more go to the Racial discrimination web page.

Self-determination has been restricted through the continued disempowerment of Indigenous groups resulting from low voting participation, removal of financial autonomy, and removal of consideration of customary law in bail and sentencing decisions. To learn more go to the Right to self determination web page .

Indigenous Australians continue to face barriers to property rights and control of Indigenous territories, and are disproportionately subject to interference with the rights to family and private life. To learn more go to the Right to Social and Cultural Rights web page.

There is continued resistance to consultation with Indigenous groups. Most notably, the Uluru Statement, calling for an Indigenous voice to Parliament has failed to garner bipartisan support. To learn more go to the Rights to be consulted web page.

The enjoyment of social security has come under serious threat due to the introduction of income management schemes for prescribed communities such as the Cashless Debit Card. Such interventionist schemes disproportionately impact upon Indigenous communities, and deny them autonomy, dignity and the right to equal enjoyment of social security. To learn more go to the Right to social security web page.

The rights of children continue to be undermined in the NT. In particular, the NT Royal Commission into the Detention and Protection of Children in 2017 found that the treatment of children in juvenile justice centres was in breach of Australia’s obligations under the CRC. Further, the age of criminal responsibility remains low in the NT. To learn more go to the Rights of children web page.

The failure to develop adequate mechanism for reparations for policies that have deliberately inflicted conditions of life calculated to bring about a Indigenous communities’ physical destruction - such as the forcible removal of children - remains a critical human rights concern. Further the lack of support for intergenerational trauma exacerbates this issue. To learn more go to the Genocide web page.