The rationale for this priority was based on a wide range of evidence.  The poor health status of the Aboriginal population compared to the non-Aboriginal population is well established.  The Shire of Cardinia and the City of Casey have a proportionally high population of Aboriginal people as established by ABS data (ABS 2001).

Access to economic resources, eg in work and education, access to income and housing, has been identified as one of the three main determinants of mental health (South East Primary Care Partnership [SEPCP] 2006).

Mental health is a priority issue for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) population (AIHW 2004).  In Australia the ATSI community have: lower income, lower educational attainment, higher unemployment rates, lower home ownership rates, and higher imprisonment rates than any other population (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet 2003, ANTAR 1999, VicHealth 2002).

Between 1991 and 2001 the education and health status of Aboriginal Australians declined compared to other Australians (ANTAR Newsletter 2004).

References

ANTAR 1999, How can we Advance Reconciliation? – Discussion Papers, Discussion paper on Proposed National Strategy to Address Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Disadvantage, H1999, ANTAR.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2001, Population Distribution, Indigenous Australians, ABS, Canberra.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2004, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW, Canberra.

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet 2003, Summary of Indigenous Health, http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/html/html_keyfacfs/keyfacts_summary.htm, accessed 23 May 2003.

South East Primary Care Partnership 2006, Notes of Health Priorities Planning Forum, Melbourne.

VicHealth 2002, Koori Health: Overcoming Inequalities, , issue No. 17, Autumn, VicHealth, Melbourne.