At its meeting held on 12 November 2009, Council released the Framework for the provision of communications services to Indigenous communities. The framework outlines a national commitment by members of the Online and Communications Council to address communications issues in Indigenous communities.

The Framework highlights the availability, affordability and use of communications services in Indigenous communities, particularly those located in remote and very remote parts of Australia, as areas requiring coordinated actions across all levels of government.

Council agreed the following objectives and strategies for collaborative action:

• Communications services standards in Indigenous communities—to identify an adequate level of communications services in Indigenous communities throughout Australia, particularly those in remote and very remote Australia.
• Appropriate and affordable communications products and services—to identify innovative and best practice communications products and services that would have particular benefit for Indigenous communities, especially those in remote and very remote Australia.
• Take-up and use of communications services by Indigenous Australians, particularly those living in remote and very remote areas—to improve Indigenous Australians’ awareness of available communications services and ability to utilise communications services to improve their economic, environmental and social wellbeing.

Council tasked the Indigenous Communications Group with addressing the objectives and strategies identified in the document, and regularly reporting its progress to the Council.

A copy of the Framework can be downloaded by the following links:

• Framework for the provision of communications services to Indigenous communities (PDF, 394 Kb)
• Framework for the provision of communications services to Indigenous communities (RTF, 548 Kb)

or requested by email: occ@occ.gov.au.