Coalition of Peaks

The Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Bodies, usually known as the Coalition of Peaks is an Australian peak body whose members comprise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations. Its main purpose is to negotiate with the various Australian governments (Commonwealth and state and territory) regarding a national agreement on the Closing the Gap framework. Closing the Gap is a government strategy that aims to reduce disparity between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians on key health, education, and economic opportunity targets.

It was formed in 2018, driven largely by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO).

Background and history

In 2008, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) made a commitment to work together to reduce the disparity between outcomes in areas such as life expectancy, health, education, and imprisonment, for non-Indigenous Australians compared with Indigenous Australians. The National Indigenous Reform Agreement (NIRA) included a strategy called "Closing the Gap", which laid out targets in reducing inequalities in these areas. This framework included plans for new programs and services, stronger reporting requirements, and a process by which progress on the targets could be measured. Some Indigenous people were involved in the development of the strategy, but it was mostly done by governments. Progress on achieving the targets was slow, for various reasons which included inadequate community involvement. In 2016, 14 community-controlled peak organisations wrote to Prime Minister Morrison, state premiers, and chief ministers to ask that the Council of Australian Governments (COAG; later National Cabinet) not make further changes to Closing the Gap without Indigenous communities providing support as well as being able to provide input in a formal and ongoing role.