This report has been no different. With this in mind I thought I would mention some of the areas where further work is planned to improve data availability in the area of health and welfare statistics for Indigenous peoples. Increasing emphasis is to be given to the work of assessing and improving the quality of administrative data collections, in collaboration with AIHW and State and Territory agencies. Central to this is improving the identification of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in those data collections. It is important that the potential richness of information from these sources be tapped.
Much more work is required on welfare-related collections and statistics.
Work already underway by AIHW to improve the quality of administrative data in this area should begin to bear fruit over the next two years. My thanks again to Sir William and Lady Deane, Mr Djerkurra and indeed all of you who have shown, by your attendance today, support for the work of the ABS and AIHW in the area of Indigenous statistics. I look forward to this report, and future reports, playing their part in improving decision making, research and community discussion in this important area of social concern.