Large cracks. Leaking roofs. Mould on walls. A cordoned off verandah that could collapse at any time.
It might sound like I was watching an episode of The Block or one of the hundreds of renovation shows on TV.
Sadly, this was not on TV – this was an Aboriginal health centre in Dandenong that has never received a cent of infrastructure funding.
Aboriginal health services have been ignored for too long, disregarded and left at the bottom of the pile.
The exterior of the Dandenong & District Aborigines Co-Operative health service.
Vic Aboriginal health services operating on 1% of necessary funds
Almost a decade ago the Victorian government assessed the needs of Aboriginal health services, with the subsequent report finding that 17 centres needed upgrading.
The report recommended immediate investment of $147 million dollars, but that recommendation has never been actioned. Instead, Aboriginal health services have to compete for an annual fund worth around 1 per cent of that amount.
Since that report, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in Victoria has increased by 73 per cent. When I was in Dandenong, I saw skilled, passionate and dedicated people working tirelessly to provide vital support for the community. The government would do well to match their efforts with money.
If the government is unable to make the required investment in Aboriginal health services, then we ask them to give us the tools to do so instead.
The Victorian government receives approximately $4 billion dollars every year in land tax revenue. A small percentage of that income, say 1.5 per cent for ten years, could be directed to establish a perpetual infrastructure fund for Aboriginal organisations here in Victoria.
This fund would enable immediate repairs and upgrades over the next ten years and leave a balance big enough to ensure that interest earned could meet the ongoing infrastructure needs of Aboriginal organisations.
It would be a one-off fund that would solve systemic problems for the foreseeable future, and put self-determination into practice.
To put it simply – this fund would be a game-changer, and not just for Dandenong, but for Aboriginal services and communities all over Victoria.
Taxing stolen land
Some people may think it is controversial that I propose using a small portion of land tax revenue to establish this fund, but I disagree.
It is a fact that we never ceded this land; a small portion of the revenue generated by it (equal to the size of our population) is all I propose.
98.5 per cent for you, 1.5 per cent for Aboriginal organisations, and for ten years only, does not seem like an unfair suggestion.
This state election, we want Aboriginal health and wellbeing to be a priority for all parties, all politicians, and all Victorians.
When the votes are counted on November 26, I implore the newly elected Victorian government to prioritise properly resourcing Aboriginal organisations.
Using land tax revenue is only a suggestion, there may be better ideas of how to fund infrastructure needs and I will be happy to hear them. The most important thing is that our health services have the tools to close the gap and serve our community.
If government invests in us, we will create vibrant, self-determining communities and our Boorais will grow up to shape a better future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria.
Jill Gallagher AO is the CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO). You can read VACCHO’s complete 2022 Victorian State Election Platform here.
