National Close the Gap Day 21st March 2024

On the third Thursday in March every year, Australians can show their support and send our governments a clear message that we value health equality as a fundamental right for all. The aim is to bring people together to share information, and most importantly, to take meaningful action to support health equality for First Nations people. The themes of this year’s report are Progressing Voice, Treaty, Truth, Leadership and Governance and Building our Economies.

There is a  distinction  between Close the Gap and the Closing the Gap.

About Close The Gap

Closing the Gap is about the Commonwealth Governments Targets in improving health and social outcomes for First Nations people

Currently the data does show some progress.

On March 6th , The Productivity Commission released new data on 8 of the Closing the Gap targets and nine supporting indicators.

Overall, 5 out of 19 targets are now on track, an improvement from 4 out of 19.

Encouragingly, the proportion of First Nations babies born at a healthy weight has improved and is on track to meet the target of 91 per cent by 2031.

The target of a 15 percent increase in land and sea country covered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples legal rights is also on track.

But there has been no improvement in closing the gap on life expectancy, with Indigenous Australian males and females expected to live 8.8 and 8.1 years respectively, less than other Australians.

The target to reduce the number of children in out of home care is not on track, while the target to reduce adult imprisonment is not on track and worsening.

The Government is committed to strengthening efforts to work in partnership with First Nations people to make progress on Closing the Gap and improve life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

The Productivity Commission is scheduled to release a further update to the Closing the Gap dashboard and the fourth Annual Data Compilation Report in July 2024.

Productivity Commission March 2024 dashboard update

Targets on track

• Target 2 – By 2031 increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies with a healthy birthweight.
• Target 15 A – By 2030, a 15 per cent increase in land mass subject to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s legal rights or interests.
• Target 15B – By 2030, a 15 per cent increase in sea covered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s legal rights or interests.

Targets not on track

• Target 1 – By 2031, close the Gap in life expectancy within a generation
• Target 10 – By 2031, reduce the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults held in incarceration by at least 15 per cent
• Target 12 – By 2031, reduce the rate of overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care by 45 per cent
• Target 14 – Significant and sustained reduction in suicide of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people towards zero.

Targets with no change

• Target 11 – By 2031, reduce the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people (10‑17 years) in detention by at least 30 per cent, shows no change from the baseline (2017).

How to get involved in National Close the Gap Day

• Register your activity. You can download some online resources to support your event
• Invite your friends, workmates and family to join you
• Take action by signing the Close the Gap pledge and asking your friends and colleagues to do the same
• Call, tweet or write to your local Member of Parliament and tell them that you want them to Close the Gap
• Listen to and share the stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on Facebook – visit our Close the Gap Facebook page.(link is external)
• Share your photos and stories on social media. Use the hashtag #ClosetheGap
• Donate to help our work on Close the Gap

FURTHER INFORMATION

Visit Close The Gap event website