Key Indigenous leaders and representatives from corporate Australia have come together for the first official meeting of the Federal Government’s Empowered Communities project.

The project is a joint effort between Indigenous leaders from eight regions across Australia, the Australian Government, and Jawun Indigenous Corporate Partnerships. Several state governments are also participating.

The project aims to design a new governance model for the regions to ensure more customised and coordinated government initiatives and to provide greater empowerment of local Indigenous leaders over the activities in their communities.

The Steering Committee which will guide the work met for the first time this week.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, Alan Tudge, said the $5 million investment to fund the detailed design of the model delivers on a Federal Coalition election commitment.

Mr Tudge said that one of the key problems in government interaction with Indigenous communities has been the sheer number of programs and agencies that interact with often very small communities. Sometimes these programs and agencies are aligned and customised, but frequently they are not.

“For example, the ANAO reported a community with a population of less than 500 Indigenous people receiving over 100 programs, delivered by seven Federal Government agencies and 11 State Government agencies,” Mr Tudge said.

“The Empowered Communities model will change the way government and Indigenous communities work together.

“It will create a model to achieve greater coordination of government policy and it will ensure that government investment is informed by local leaders and targeted to make a genuine and practical difference to the lives of Indigenous people.”

Mr Tudge said that the Empowered Communities Project will build on the Federal Coalition Government’s decision to consolidate Indigenous specific programs, bringing them under one government department and ensuring greater policy coordination.

Mr Tudge said a stronger local governance structure, led by key indigenous leaders, will be important to delivering better services.

“We know that local empowerment and locally driven solutions will improve outcomes for Indigenous people,” Mr Tudge said.

“We need to give Indigenous people a greater say and greater responsibility about how best to respond to local issues, and especially to combat welfare dependence."

The eight regions involved are Cape York, Central Coast of NSW, Inner Sydney, Goulburn Murray, East Kimberley, West Kimberley, APY/NPY Lands and North East Arnhem Land.

A key part of the project will be to engage with Indigenous leaders, communities and organisations across the eight regions. This aspect will be led by Jawun Indigenous Corporate Partnerships.

The Steering Committee is co-chaired by the Chairman of the Cape York Institute and patron of Jawun Indigenous Corporate Partnerships, Noel Pearson, and the Associate Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Liza Carroll.

Other members of the Steering Committee come with a broad range of skills and experience, including Indigenous leaders, corporate representatives and senior Commonwealth and State government officials.

“I am looking forward to working closely with the Empowered Communities Steering Committee to develop the new ideas that are needed to make a change," Mr Tudge said.

The Committee’s membership includes:

• Mr Noel Pearson, Co-Chair (Cape York Institute, Queensland)

• Ms Liza Carroll, Co-Chair (Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet)

• Mr Sean Gordon (Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council, New South Wales)

• Mr Ian Trust AO (Wunan, Western Australia)

• Ms Denise Bowden (Yothu Yindi Foundation, Northern Territory)

• Mr Paul Briggs (Kaiela Institute, Victoria)

• Mr Michael Rose (Allens and Business Council of Australia)

• Ms Karyn Baylis (Jawun Indigenous Corporate Partnerships)

• Mr Brian Hartzer (Australian Financial Services, Westpac)

• Mr David Tune (Department of Finance)

• Mr Finn Pratt (Department of Social Services)

• Mr Jon Grayson (Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Queensland)

• Mr Chris Eccles (Department of Premier and Cabinet, New South Wales)

• Mr Cliff Weeks (Department of Aboriginal Affairs, Western Australia)

• Mr Robert Kendrick (Department of Community Services, Northern Territory)

Professor Marcia Langton of the University of Melbourne is special advisor to the co-chairs.

To view the biographies of the Empowered Communities Steering Committee members, visit Parliamentary Secretary Tudge's website.