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Australian Government Departments and Authorities

Many Australian Government Deparments have specific services and programs for ATSI people. The following Departments and Authorites are key ones with specific coordination or other relevant roles.

Familis, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

The Australian Government, through FaHCSIA, reaches out to Indigenous Australians through a network of offices across the country. These include 29 Indigenous Coordination Centres and six Regional Operations Centres. FaHCSIA supports Indigenous Australians through a range of programs and services including Closing the Gap initiatives. FaHCSIA also provides grants and funding to support Indigenous organisations and individuals.

FaCSIA Indigenous web site home

Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH)

The Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) was established to give a greater focus to the health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in mainstream health programs, and to assume responsibility for the administration of funding to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled health and substance use services.

The long-term strategy of OATSIH is to improve the access of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to comprehensive primary health care services. The aim is to provide coordinated clinical care, population health and health promotion activities to facilitate illness prevention, early intervention and effective disease management. Evidence from Australia and overseas shows that improved access to comprehensive primary health care can make a real and sustainable difference to health status in the longer term. This strategy is firmly based on the principle of working in partnership with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled health sector.

The Department is pursuing a three way approach

• Aims to improve access to, and responsiveness of, the mainstream health system
• Ensure complementary action through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander specific health and substance use services
• Collaborate across governments and the health sector to improve service delivery and outcomes

Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH)

The Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations

The Registrar is an independent statutory office holder who administers the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act). This Act guides how Indigenous corporations are run. The CATSI Act started on 1 July 2007.

The Registrar's office supports and regulates the corporations that are incorporated under the Act. It does this in a variety of ways: by advising them on how to incorporate, by training directors, members and key staff in good corporate governance, by making sure they comply with the law and by intervening when needed.

ORATSIC web site

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS)

The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) is the world's premier institution for information and research about the cultures and lifestyles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, past and present.

The Institute undertakes and encourages scholarly, ethical community-based research, holds a priceless collection of films, photographs, video and audio recordings and the world's largest collections of printed and other resource materials for Indigenous Studies, and has its own publishing house.

Its activities affirm and raise awareness among all Australians, and people of other nations, of the richness and diversity of Australian Indigenous cultures and histories.

AIATSIS is a Commonwealth statutory authority within the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR external) portfolio.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Act 1989 established ATSIC and first came into operation on 5 March 1990.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission—ATSIC—has been Australia’s peak Indigenous organisation within what was, until 30 June 2004, the Australian Government's Indigenous Affairs Portfolio.

ATSIC is established by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Act 1989 (ATSIC Act) and began operations on 5 March 1990 as a means to involve Indigenous people in the processes of government affecting their lives.

ATSIC's structure has combined:

• an elected arm of Indigenous representatives, consisting of 35 Regional Councils around Australia and a national Board of Commissioners led by an elected Chairperson; and
• an administration headed by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

On 16 March 2005 Parliament passed the ATSIC Amendment Bill repealing provisions of the ATSIC Act, and in particular abolishing ATSIC ( and transferring programs administered by ATSIC-ATSIS to mainstream government agencies.

The legislation received the Royal Assent and was proclaimed with effect from 24 March 2005.

The legislation also provides that Regional Councils will cease on 30 June 2005.

ATSIC archived web site

Indigenous.gov.au

Indigenous.gov.au celebrates the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and is a gateway to information on Australian Government Indigenous initiatives and programs.