Renewal of OCHRE (Opportunity, Choice, Healing, Responsibility, Empowerment) in NSW
Victoria Police
Who funded the project
In 2013, the NSW Government introduced the OCHRE Plan to transform relations with Aboriginal communities. Based on extensive consultations, OCHRE aimed to:
Heal trauma to support long-term solutions based on a state-wide consultation process.
Empower Aboriginal communities through Local Decision Making (LMD) and Aboriginal Regional Alliances (ARA) for greater control over services.
Develop Aboriginal-led education, economic, and language programs.
As two stages of OCHRE evaluation demonstrate, there were many achievements over 2013- 2023 including ARA being established over significant parts (but not all) of NSW. But a statewide healing program did not progress beyond the consultation stage. There was also slow progress in transferring decision-making powers to Aboriginal communities. From 2018-2019 onwards, OCHRE was increasingly overshadowed by the negotiation and roll out of the Closing the Gap program in NSW.
In 2023, the NSW Government initiated a renewal of OCHRE, focusing on:
Expansion of LMD and ARA and building on OCHRE Plan successes.
Revitalising the statewide healing process.
Socialising OCHRE practice principles across the large NSW public service to support Aboriginal self-determination.
Aligning OCHRE with Closing the Gap and Treaty processes in NSW.
A report by Karabena Consulting was developed to support the renewal process focusing on:
Diverse Aboriginal community representation across NSW.
OCHRE’s past outcomes.
The desired outcomes of a renewed OCHRE.
A renewed forward facing OCHRE narrative embracing Treaty.
Identifying gaps and opportunities for innovation, including in relation to Closing the Gap and Treaty processes and with a longer-term view of developing an OCHRE strategic plan with stakeholders.
Key Recommendations:
Develop a new OCHRE narrative with key elements including healing, self-determination, sovereignty, Treaty and wellbeing.
Continue and expand the statewide healing process including to support community self-governance.
Expand ARA for broader influence and integrate Aboriginal community representation across NSW.
Strengthen Aboriginal Affairs NSW's capacity to influence the NSW public service including fostering collective OCHRE Competence.
Integrate OCHRE with Closing the Gap and the Treaty process.
Summary
To support a wider consultation process by:
• Establishing a baseline understanding of the history and challenges associated with Aboriginal community representation in NSW, OCHRE and related programs.
• Establishing a baseline understanding of the way Closing the Gap and Treaty were operating in NSW, and their relationship to OCHRE.
• Articulating and understanding the desired goals of a renewed OCHRE
• Testing draft OCHRE practice principles.
• Identifying gaps if the above desired goals were to be realised.
• Identifying opportunities by building on OCHRE Plan legacies, and connecting OCHRE to the Closing the Gap program, Treaty and other developments.
• Establishing directions for an OCHRE strategic plan.
Project Aims
• Desk based analysis of upwards of 100 publicly available and AANSW- internal documents including those relating to OCHRE, Closing the Gap in NSW, Unfinished Business and existing representative bodies.
• Some interviews with AANSW personnel, other stakeholders.
Methodologies
A draft report featuring a seven-part gap and opportunity analysis intended to support the development of an OCHRE strategic plan subject to stakeholder consultations.
Project Outcomes
• OCHRE Plan
• Healing
• Trauma recovery
• Self-determination
• Aboriginal leadership
• Community representation
• Local Decision Making (LMD)
• Aboriginal Regional Alliances (ARA)
• Power transfer
• Aboriginal Affairs NSW (AANSW)
• Closing the Gap
• Treaty
• Strategic framework
• Public service influence
• Government-Aboriginal community partnerships
• Integrating state and national frameworks