Policy
OVERVIEW Cape York Institute (CYI) is an independent think tank, with a broad policy remit that influences policy reform in Cape York and elsewhere. It has been a leading driver of Indigenous policy reform since it was launched in July 2004 as a partnership with the people of Cape York, the Australian and Queensland Governments, and Griffith University. In December 2011, CYI was established as an independent wholly owned subsidiary of Cape York Corporation Limited and in 2014, a further organisational restructure brought CYI under the umbrella of the Cape York Partnership Group. The centrepiece of CYI’s work has been Cape York Welfare Reform (CYWR), implemented in Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge. The CYWR trial from 2008, the evolution of the approach based on the lessons learnt, and the development of further reforms within the Empowered Communities framework, remain Australia’s pre-eminent policy initiatives through which a holistic reform agenda is pursued to tackle passive welfare and promote Indigenous development. CYI, with its many partners, has led a shift in the approach to Indigenous affairs from ‘business as usual’ that has seen
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Family Empowerment Report // July-December 2021
Indigenous disadvantage continue to worsen, to a new reform paradigm. We have championed Indigenous-led reforms across a wide range of areas including to: •
confront alcohol addiction as a cause of dysfunction
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rebalance rights with Indigenous responsibility, including through the introduction of conditional welfare
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rebuild Indigenous leadership and local authority, including through our leadership programs and the Family Responsibilities Commission
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reform Indigenous educational attendance and attainment, including through the introduction of Direct Instruction teaching methods by the Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy to lift the performance of schools.
This work has triggered fundamental shifts across the Australian political landscape and its lexicon—our results have had benefits beyond the Indigenous people of Cape York; they are a key influence on efforts to address disadvantage in Australia generally.
