Consultation Updates - Melbourne

Summary of the NATSIHP consultation in Melbourne

The consultations for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan (the Health Plan) are currently underway. This page will be updated with the latest news and highlights from the consultations as they progress.

Melbourne

The community consultation in Melbourne was held on Monday, 12 November 2012. Forty-three members of the community attended and were welcomed by the Minister for Indigenous Health, the Hon Warren Snowdon MP. Key themes emerging from the group discussions included the importance of providing culturally safe services within the family and community context, the need for coordination across services, departments and levels of government, the importance of providing an opportunity for people to identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person when accessing services to enable appropriate service provision, and issues relating to oral health and mental health. There was a specific focus on the health system, including the need for long term capacity building and the provision of genuine employment and career development opportunities within the health sector. Participants also noted the importance of acknowledging and appreciating the strengths of Indigenous culture and the successes currently being achieved by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.