In March 2015 the Baird Government made a commitment of $20 million for the establishment of an Aboriginal Centre for Excellence (ACE) in Western Sydney.
Western Sydney has the largest Aboriginal population in Australia and is also an area of significant population and economic growth. As well as providing opportunities for strengthening individual and community resilience this initiative will have a particular focus on ensuring that local Aboriginal people, particularly young people are equipped to seize opportunities stemming from this region’s growth.
A key objective of ACE will be to deliver opportunities that support Aboriginal young people making the transition from the school environment into further education and employment and excel in their chosen field.
The first phase of consultation to develop options for the location, scope and target group has been completed.
A summary of the Community Consultation report is now available.
Early community advice indicates the focus of a Western Sydney ACE could include; innovation, education, employment pathways, arts, culture, health, wellbeing, sport and recreation.
Based on this advice Aboriginal Affairs has planned two community feedback sessions in Western Sydney for 22nd and 29th April 2016. The sessions are part of a community co-design strategy and aim at clarifying the community’s advice during the consultation process.
Further, the Minister has confirmed an industry stakeholder forum on 21st April 2016 to engage relevant industry stakeholders to discuss the sustainability of a Western Sydney ACE.
If you would like to attend a community feedback session or have a question please email your contact details to [email protected]
