Latest News

New Elcho Island Aircraft Wheelchair Lift launches at Galiwin’ku Airport
In the third Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services six monthly report, released in September 2011, a case study was featured on the Machado Joseph Disease (MJD) Foundation … More >

Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services Viewpoint - Strategic Priorities for 2012
Each year my Office develops, in consultation with stakeholders and all staff, a set of key strategic priorities for the year. … More >

A message from the Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services
Looking back, 2011 has been a year for governments across all levels working together to ensure the basics are in place for the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Service Delivery to bring about sustainable change. … More >

Local Community Awareness Program held in Ntaria
The National Partnership on Remote Service Delivery recognises that engagement with Indigenous people should be central to the design and delivery of programs and services. … More >

Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services Viewpoint - NGO roundtable
As I travel through the Remote Service Delivery priority communities and work with the various boards, groups and committees … More >

Fourth Six Monthly Report released, 14 October 2011
Today, the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin MP, released my fourth Six Monthly Report. Once again, the report was a result of a highly collaborative process. … More >

Driving Community Safety on the Ground
In my previous reports and through this website, I have consistently advocated for a community development approach to working on Local Implementation Plans and wherever governments are seeking to work in partnership with the community. … More >

The Education and School Attendance Roundtable
Education and school attendance are critical to the achievement of the Closing the Gap targets. On 25 August 2011, the Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services hosted a roundtable discussion in Brisbane … More >

Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services Viewpoint - the halfway mark
We are heading towards halfway through the implementation of the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Service Delivery. … More >

Community Identity Card development
Remote Service Delivery is about recognising the unique circumstances of remote places and developing innovative responses. … More >

Stakeholder views on the effectiveness of OCGRIS
During April-May this year, a Stakeholder Survey was posted on the cgris website for three weeks. Key stakeholders were also contacted directly to seek their views. Overall, 178 stakeholders were surveyed with a response rate of 22 per cent. … More >

Community Engagement in Amata
Well managed community engagement enables individuals to build ongoing, permanent relationships for the purpose of applying a collective vision for the benefit of a community. … More >

Brokering Solutions - The Coen Airstrip
OCGRIS assists with blockages, encouraging and advocating for projects to ensure speedier implementation. One example of this is the work that was put into the upgrade of the Coen Airstrip. … More >

Community Owned Alcohol Management
Many communities have raised with me their concerns about alcohol abuse and its effects on community safety and wellbeing. Some of the most successful efforts to redress these concerns have been driven by community members. … More >

Enhancing the CGRIS website
Providing an information resource and documenting progress within the 29 Remote Service Delivery (RSD) communities and governments is an extremely important part of the function of this Office. … More >

A Different Approach to Policing in the APY Lands
The Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Land communities of Amata and Mimili South Australia considered more effective policing as a high priority in the development of their individual Local Implementation Plans. … More >

Third Six Monthly Report released, 4 April 2011
Today, the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin MP, released my first Six Monthly Report for this year … More >

Generating Employment in the Priority Communities
The Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) is part of the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing (NPARIH) and represents the joint commitment of the Australian and Northern Territory Governments … More >

Wishes at the Ntaria Local Implementation Plan signing
On Wednesday 2 March the Local Implementation Plan for Ntaria was signed in the presence of members of the community, government officials and the Wurla Nyinta Reference Group. … More >

Yirrkala Bus Service
Residents of the community Yirrkala in North East Arnhem Land are now enjoying the use of a Public Bus Service. This was an issue raised in my first visit in August 2009. … More >

Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services Viewpoint Community Development
I recently attended a FaHCSIA workshop called the Executive Discussion on Indigenous Development. Central to the workshop was discussion around community development - an issue very close to my own heart and an issue covered in my previous reports … More >

Third Six Monthly Report
Planning and development is well underway for the third Six Monthly Report from the Office of the Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services. The report is due for release in late March … More >

Major facility upgrade for Doomadgee
As part of the Remote Service Delivery initiative, the Australian and Queensland governments and residents of Doomadgee are working together on the actions agreed to within their Local Implementation Plan … More >

A message from the Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services
Last December when I sat down to review the progress of our new Office I really needed to think about it. We were only a short distance into our Remote Service Delivery journey and there was a lot of talk and a big 2010 ahead … More >

First Northern Territory Local Implementation Plan signing
On 10 November I was pleased to be in Gunbalanya for the formal signing of the first Local Implementation Plan in the Northern Territory … More >

Launch of the second Six Monthly Report
Today the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin MP, launched my second Six Monthly Report. … More >

Overview of National Partnerships in relation to the National Indigenous Reform Agenda
We often find ourselves referencing or flicking through the various National Partnership Agreements that relate to the National Indigenous Reform Agreement … More >

Incorporating the COAG Building Blocks and targets into the Local Implementation process
Comprehensive and ambitious strategies and actions have been identified and committed to by the Amata and Mimili communities and the Australian and South Australian Governments. … More >

What is Indigenous community governance?
What is Indigenous community governance? Why is it important for both governments and communities to improve their governance to close the gap? … More >

Next Six Monthly Report Well Underway
Planning is well underway to produce my next Six Monthly Report that is scheduled to be provided to Minister Macklin in August 2010. … More >

Turning the Corner to Real Change
We will soon reach another significant milestone under the COAG arrangements and the Remote Service Delivery Strategy … More >

Strengthening Communities
The National Partnership Agreement on Remote Service Delivery is established to improve government … More >