Policy Coordination & Development

Program Overview: Policy Coordination and Development

Objectives

ACHIEVEMENTS FOR OBJECTIVE 1

Marine and Fisheries Coordination
The TSRA Chairperson together with the Australian and Queensland Government Ministers for Fisheries comprise the Torres Strait Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA), which is responsible for determining fisheries regulations for Torres Strait.
Within the TSRA, a Fisheries Co-ordinator and a Fisheries Policy Officer are responsible for the co-ordination and support of 24 Torres Strait community fisher representatives in their participation in the PZJA consultative structure.

The unit’s operational budget increased by more than 36 percent to $300,000 this year to which the Australian and Queensland Fisheries contribute $60,000 for the employment of the Fisheries Coordinator. Approximately $45,000 is provided each year by Queensland Fisheries from Indigenous commercial fishing licence revenue to build and improve the capacity of community fisher representatives in the community and at the PZJA consultative meetings. A detailed summary of fisheries performance indicators can be found in the 2007-2008 TSRA Annual Report.

TORRES STRAIT TREATY
The Torres Strait Treaty is a bilateral instrument established to delineate borders and jurisdictions between Australia and PNG. Under the Treaty, both nations have established a Protected Zone which provides administrative protection to the traditional way of life and livelihood of traditional inhabitants in the Torres Strait.

The TSRA Board is a key advisory body, providing input across a broad range of cross border issues. Members of the Board participate in an annual cycle of bilateral consultative meetings with both PNG traditional inhabitants and other officials, at the National,State and Provincial level. The TSRA continues to work closely with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to ensure Torres Strait participation continues at meetings of Traditional Inhabitants, Treaty Liaison, the Environmental Management Committee and the Joint Advisory Council.

TORRES STRAIT HEALTH PARTNERSHIP FORUM
The Torres Strait Health Partnership Forum consists of the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA), the Department of Health and Ageing, Queensland Health, the Torres Strait Island Regional Council (TSIRC), the Torres Shire Council (TSC), the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC), the Health Community Council and the Queensland Ambulance Service.

The Health Framework Agreement that governs the Torres Strait Health Partnership (TSHP) and sets out the Partnership’s strategic goals and objectives was signed during a special launch which took place on Thursday Island in July 2006. The aim of this Agreement is to improve health outcomes for the residents of the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area, in particular to improve the health status of Indigenous residents to a level that is at least commensurate with that of the wider Australian community.

The TSRA confirmed the final phase of funding for the Asian Mosquito Prevention Project, under the Funding Agreement with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Part of the project has involved Q-Build, which has conducted dengue prevention works on the Outer Island communities. This involved screening of tanks, cleaning household gutters and destruction of old water tanks. The project will be completed on 30 April 2009.

The TSRA supported the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) to continue to donate refurbished Queensland Ambulance Emergency vehicles to Torres Strait islands in 2007-2008. This initiative will be completed once MOU’s are agreed to by four more Island communities. The QAS Field Officer has provided vehicle and stretcher education to the communities who have received vehicles under the project.

The Torres Strait and NPA Regional Investment Strategy has been developed to provide the Australian Government with direction to inform investments until the Torres Strait and NPA Regional Health Plan is completed and endorsed by the TSHP. The TSHP Secretariat has responsibility for actively monitoring the progress of a sound regional plan which is to set the direction for the next five years for health. It is expected to be completed by December 2008 and will have the full endorsement of the TSHP.

Achievements for Objective 2

Torres Strait Development Plan
The current Torres Strait Development Plan will expire in June 2009. The TSRA is in the process of developing a new plan for 2009-2013. This process will involve extensive community consultation and information collection that will assist in forming the new Torres Strait Development Plan.

INFORMATION DELIVERY

Objectives
1. To provide information to the Minister and the TSRA Board on the TSRA’s policies, goals, progress and achievements.
2. To provide information to the public on the TSRA’s policies, goals, progress and achievements.

Achievements for Objective 1

Executive Services Section
During 2007-2008, the TSRA Executive Services Section supported the TSRA Chairperson, Board Members and the General Manager to perform their functions as outlined in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 and to achieve outcomes as directed by the TSRA Board.

Four Board Meetings were held during this period and eight Executive Committee Meetings were held in preparation for the Board Meetings.

Throughout this year, the Executive Services Section liaised with all sections of the TSRA and external agencies to provide 64 briefing papers and reports which resulted in the TSRA Board making 43 formal decisions. A total of 19 items of Ministerial correspondence were prepared for the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

Achievements for Objective 2

Public Affairs

The TSRA provided information to the public in 2007-2008 using a number of mediums, including press releases, newsletters, website placements, advertising, and the production of promotional material.
A Public Affairs Officer is responsible for delivering this TSRA objective. During the past year, 15 media releases, 13 Chairperson’s Columns published in the Torres News, 9 newsletters, 8 speeches and the 2006-2007 TSRA Annual Report were produced.
Pamphlets and promotional material were also produced focussing on:
• The TSRA Land and Sea Management Unit (newsletters, survey, articles)
• The TSRA Business Funding Scheme (pamphlet)
• The TSRA Community Business Forums
• TSRA promotional hats, polo shirts, wristbands, banner, notepads, pens and bags
• The TSRA elections on 17 May 2008 (posters)

Public Affairs assisted in advertising and marketing of the Gab Titui Cultural Centre including drafting articles for submission to the local newspaper, a weekly advertisement in the Torres News, invitations and advertisements about exhibitions, workshops and the Café, and management of media involvement for the Centre’s fourth birthday in April 2008.

All TSRA non-campaign press advertising is conducted through the Australian Government provider HMA Blaze. No campaign advertising was conducted in 2007-2008.

General enquiries from both the regional and mainstream media were attended to, as well as 166 information requests from the public via telephone, email, in person or mail.

The TSRA website (www.tsra.gov.au) continues to offer the community an opportunity to forward queries or feedback to the TSRA regarding its programs, policies, goals, progress and is updated regularly. In 2006-2007, Public Affairs commenced a project to revamp the TSRA website. The new website was finalised in this financial year.