The National Indigenous Health Leadership Alliance (NIHLA) welcomes the findings of both the Independent Review of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and the 2025 Productivity Commission Annual Data Compilation Report. Together, they confirm what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have long said: governments are not doing enough to meet their own commitments, and the gap is growing — not closing — across many critical areas.
The Productivity Commission report released this week shows that outcomes have worsened or stagnated in key areas. Only five of the 19 socio-economic targets are on track, and even then, some progress is marginal. Alarmingly, rates of adult imprisonment and children in out-of-home care continue to rise. The report highlights that without urgent structural reform; these outcomes will persist or deteriorate.
NIHLA Chair, Karl Briscoe, stated: “We are seeing the consequences of government inaction — the data speaks for itself. The evidence is clear: the failure is not with our communities, but with the lack of systemic change. We cannot wait any longer. Structural reform, cultural safety, and shared decision-making must become the default, not the exception.”
Key Messages:
- Systemic resistance to reform is the problem. Both the Review and the Productivity Commission report confirm that government agencies are failing to implement the four Priority Reforms in full, undermining the effectiveness of the National Agreement.
- Five years in, outcomes are worsening. The data shows increasing numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care and adults in prison. Health equity remains elusive. These are symptoms of policy failure, not community failure.
- A roadmap exists but is not being followed. The National Agreement is not aspirational — it is an operational blueprint. Governments must implement it through long-term investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, reform of mainstream services, and full implementation of Indigenous data governance.
- Whole-of-government accountability is non-negotiable. Success cannot depend on the efforts of only ‘Indigenous’ portfolios. Every department and agency must embed cultural safety, anti-racism, and genuine partnership.
- Consultation is not co-design. Governments must end their reliance on consultants and intermediaries. It is time to fund and trust Aboriginal-led organisations to lead and deliver change.
NIHLA stands ready to work with governments — but we need more than words. We call on the Prime Minister and Cabinet to:
- Direct the Australian Public Service to implement the transformation elements of Priority Reform Three across all agencies.
- Embed cultural safety, healing-informed approaches, and anti-racism in policy, funding, and workforce frameworks.
- Support regional and place-based partnership tables with decision-making authority and data-sharing agreements.
- Embed anti-racism and healing-informed approaches across all Closing the Gap targets.
- Recommit to Priority Reform Four by resourcing Indigenous-led data development, access, and governance.
“We must stop treating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as problems to be fixed,” said Mr Briscoe. “We are partners, with solutions grounded in culture, expertise, and lived experience. It’s time to match commitments with meaningful, measurable actions.”
We look forward to meeting with Ministers over the coming months to ensure the National Agreement does not remain a promise unfulfilled but delivers on its commitments and outcomes.
Key Facts:
Only four out of 19 targets in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap remain on track to be met by 2031, according to the Productivity Commission’s new 2025 Annual Data Compilation Report.
Although healthy birthweights (Target 2) are improving, they remain off track. Four key targets are continuing to worsen – suicide rates (Target 14), incarceration rates for adults (Target 10), developmental outcomes for children (Target 4), and the number of children in out-of-home care (Target 12).
About us:
The National Indigenous Health Leadership Alliance (NIHLA) is a partnership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing organisations, whose purpose is to drive systemic and structural change of the mainstream health system, with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan and the other health strategies such as the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce Framework and Implementation Plan. We hold expertise across health, aged care and disability politic and service delivery, as well as workforce, research, organisational and business development, healing, mental health, and social, cultural and social emotional wellbeing.
Contact details:
Media Contact - Partime: Colleen Gibbs, NIHLA Executive Officer, [email protected] 0447 477 202
