Federal Indigenous affairs agency in Australia
The National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) is an Australian Public Service agency of the Australian Government. It is responsible for whole-of-government coordination of policy development, program design, and service delivery for Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander people, who are grouped under the term Indigenous Australians.
Created in July 2019, under then Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the Agency is responsible to the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney and is an executive agency of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, replacing the Department's Indigenous Affairs Group. The inaugural Chief Executive Officer was retired Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Ray Griggs. Jody Broun became the CEO in February 2022.[1]
History
The agency was first announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the 26 May 2019 after the return of the Liberal-National Coalition to government at the 2019 Federal Election. Prime Minister Morrison announced a ministerial reshuffle and machinery of government changes which elevated Minister for Aged Care and Indigenous Health Wyatt into the Cabinet of Australia as the Minister for Indigenous Australians[2] and the creation of the National Indigenous Australians Agency within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, replacing the Department's Indigenous Affairs Group.[3][4]
The National Indigenous Australians Agency was listed in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on the 29 May 2019 as the Order to Establish the National Indigenous Australians Agency as an Executive Agency (29/5/2019) under the Public Service Act 1999 to be formally established on the 1 July 2019.[citation needed]
Governance and responsibilities
The National Indigenous Australians Agency is responsible to the Minister for Indigenous Australians and is an executive agency of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.[4] It is an internal government agency accountable to the executive government.
As outlined in the Order, the Agency is responsible for leading and coordinating policy development, program design and implementation and service delivery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and providing advice to the Prime Minister and Minister for Indigenous Affairs on whole-of-government priorities. The agency is also responsible for the promotion of reconciliation, the Closing the Gap strategy, and monitoring and evaluation of programs.[5]
Structure and staffing
The NIAA is led by a CEO, Jody Broun, and two Deputy CEOs each with distinct responsibilities.[6]
The NIAA structure is designed to better meet the Government's priorities to effectively deliver on our Executive Order, strengthen our ability to deliver as one team and enhance our partnership with Indigenous Australians. NIAA organisational chart as at 28 July 2023.
The NIAA is not an entirely Indigenous organisation. According to the NIAA's latest annual report, (2021-22), the NIAA had 1,332 employees, including 108 non-ongoing employees. The NIAA has a diverse workforce:
- 71 per cent of our workforce are women and
- 22 per cent of our workforce identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees.
The NIAA has staff working across Australia, with 41 per cent of staff located outside Canberra in other capital cities and regional and remote areas.[7]
