Indigenous Australians are “somewhere between disappointed and frustrated” at a lack of traction on socio-economic targets, after a scorecard found most aren’t being met.

Only five out of 19 Closing the Gap targets are on track, the Productivity Commission’s Annual Data Compilation Report released on Thursday shows.

Catherine Liddle, CEO of SNAICC and co-convenor of Coalition of Peaks (a representative body of more than 80 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups) said the federal government needed to do better because “screaming from the rooftop for ages” wasn’t working.

“Somewhere between disappointed and frustrated and I always find that a very uncomfortable place to be, because I’m a person that likes to see light,” she told ABC TV in response to the commission’s report.

“You see those data sets that again reinforce what we heard even at the beginning of the year, and that is governments are not moving fast enough on this, it’s frustrating.”

A fresh approach wasn’t needed because the evidence shows the areas that are succeeding give communities control of decision-making processes, the Arrernte and Luritja woman from Central Australia said.

“It’s not about finding a new pathway, certainly that’s not what the Productivity Commission is saying,” she said. 

“It’s saying, share the decision-making – this is common sense, governments talking to the people about the issues that impact them, and the solutions to solve that.”

The results, based on data first released in February, leave much room for improvement, new Labor Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy said.

“These figures are deeply troubling, but I am determined to work in partnership with First Nations Australians, the Coalition of Peaks and state and territory governments to bring about positive change,” she said.

“I will be reaching out to my colleagues across the parliament to seek a bipartisan approach to Indigenous affairs.”

Federal Finance Minister Katy Gallagher acknowledged “there is a lot of unfinished work ahead of us” despite some improvements. 

Targets to reduce rates of incarceration, out-of-home care and suicide aren’t on track, the commission report shows.

The most recent data for 2022 shows suicide was the leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15–39.

As well, the commission noted that the life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men is 71.9 years and 75.6 years for women.

The gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous people – which is 81.2 years for males and 85.3 years for women – is not on track to close by 2031.

However, targets for healthy birth weights, preschool enrollments and Indigenous employment are on track to be met by 2031.

Land mass and sea waters covered under Indigenous legal rights and interests are also improving at a rate required to meet the target, the commission found.

“We know that having ready access to culturally safe and responsive services and systems can make all the difference to socio-economic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Commissioner Selwyn Button said.

Closing the Gap is a national strategy that aims to reduce Indigenous disadvantage relating to life expectancy, child mortality, and access to education and employment.

The strategy was launched in 2008 and revised in 2020 and aims to close its gaps within a generation.

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This post was originally published on Michael West.