Outcome 16: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and languages are strong, supported and flourishing

Target 16: By 2031, there is a sustained increase in number and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages being spoken.

Minister responsible

Minister for the Arts

Productivity Commission national progress against the target

The most recent data for this target is from 2018–19. This target remains a focus for data development under the Data Development Plan.

The path forward

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages are in a critical and precarious state and Australia has one of the highest rates of language loss in the world. The impact of colonial policies deliberately broke the connection to language and, therefore, cultural and spiritual identity. The impacts are still felt today.

There are approximately 150 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages still spoken in Australia, with only 14 languages considered strong. Immediate action is essential to reverse this rate of loss. As one of the most culturally rich and innovative countries on Earth, we have a responsibility to support First Nations communities to stop the loss of languages. Maintenance, revitalisation, renewal and reawakening activities are vitally important to support the continuation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

It is critical that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are central to decisions on how languages are revived, protected and strengthened. The Commonwealth is committed to partnering with First Nations peoples and communities to listen and support them to strengthen languages, including through its existing partnership with First Languages Australia and establishing a new partnership to develop legislation to protect First Nations traditional knowledge and cultural expressions. Addressing the erosion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and advancing solutions will require elevating First Nations voices.

Priority actions

Working in partnership to support First Nations languages

The Commonwealth’s investment in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Policy Partnership (Languages Policy Partnership) is a critical first step to bring together community members, peak organisations, and all Australian governments to discuss policy options for delivery against Target 16.

The Languages Policy Partnership, established in December 2022, will identify opportunities to work more effectively across governments with First Nations peoples to support the shared commitment to progress action on Target 16. First Nations peoples are equal parties with government in the Languages Policy Partnership and will work together to improve outcomes and accelerate action on Target 16. The first meeting of the Languages Policy Partnership will be held in March 2023. The Office for the Arts is working with First Languages Australia to develop an evaluation strategy that can be implemented for the Languages Policy Partnership.

The Commonwealth is committed to ensuring that all language activities will be done in partnership with First Nations peoples and to fully embedding the principle of ‘nothing about us, without us’ for all First Nations language work.

International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022–2032

The Commonwealth is partnering with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the development of initiatives for the United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032), including the development of Australia’s Action Plan for the International Decade. This work ensures that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are central to the development of Australia’s priorities and activities for the Decade.

Establishing language centres through shared decision-making

On 23 December 2022, the Commonwealth announced the successful candidates for the Closing the Gap pilot program, which establishes partnerships between Indigenous language centres and local service delivery partners. The recommendations were made in partnership with a panel made up of First Languages Australia, the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation. The panel established the selection criteria, evaluated applications and recommended 11 partnerships to the Minister.

The Commonwealth is working with First Languages Australia, as the peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, to establish three new language centres by 2024.

Maintenance and renewal of First Nations languages

The Commonwealth is supporting the Indigenous Languages and Arts program to undertake maintenance, revitalisation, renewal and reawakening activities. These activities are vitally important to support the continuation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, including established or strong languages.

The publication of languages dictionaries is vitally important for communities undertaking language maintenance and renewal activities and the Commonwealth has committed to continue its investment in the Indigenous Languages Dictionaries Project to support communities to record and translate their languages in a printed resource.

Equitable access to interpreting services

Ensuring equitable access to services will require continued support for interpreting services, including through the Commonwealth’s commitment to Indigenous interpreting services and through the incorporation of language across a broad range of sectors, including health and early childhood.

Protection of First Nations Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Expressions

The Commonwealth has committed to work with First Nations peoples to establish stand-alone legislation to protect traditional knowledge and cultural expressions. Indigenous Knowledge is a term used to cover a range of knowledge held and continually developed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It can include such things as language, song, dance, stories, songlines, art, and knowledge of plants, science, medicines and agriculture.

National Cultural Policy

The Commonwealth’s new National Cultural Policy is also ensuring culture and languages are strong, supported and flourishing. The National Cultural Policy elevates First Nations voices, positioning their importance as the country’s first creative practitioners and integral contributors to the canon of Australian cultural works and practices in the First Nations First Pillar, and embeds First Nations perspectives across all remaining Pillars of the Policy.

Summary of new actions

*A full appendix of new and existing measures being undertaken by the Commonwealth to support Closing the Gap efforts is on the NIAA website, at Closing the Gap implementation measures.