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Forum Brings Koori Justice Discussions to Warrnambool

The Hon Andrew McIntosh, Minister for Corrections and Crime Prevention will speak on the Victorian Government’s priorities and work in partnership with the Koori community at the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Forum (AJF) this week.

Comprising a mix of senior government and Koori community members, the AJF will convene over two days from 20-21 October in Warrnambool, to workshop justice priorities identified under the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement (AJA), for which it is the peak body.

Reducing offending and re-offending, crime prevention, rehabilitation and transition support have emerged as priority issues in discussions at recent forums and will form the basis of a crime prevention and community safety themed agenda.

Highlighted at each AJF are examples of local success in reducing the over-representation of Koories in the justice system. Victoria Police will present on the significant progress made toward reducing the number of Koori youth in negative contact with police in the Warrnambool area, testament to the strong partnerships developed with local justice agencies and the Koori community.

Connecting with the local Koori community and culture is one of the most important aspects of each AJF, strengthening government-community partnerships, a key principle of the AJA.

The community forum segment of the meeting provides an opportunity to promote partnership and networking, identification of local justice issues and appropriate solutions through discussions between the local Koori communities and government agencies and service providers.

Incorporation of cultural elements is a core part of the proceedings, including Welcome to Country and performance by Traditional Custodian groups, the marking and passing of a message stick between hosts before business commences, and after-hours cultural tours and activities.

The AJF is co-Chaired by Penny Armytage, Secretary of the Department of Justice and the Chairperson of the Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee (RAJAC) in the hosting region. Denis Rose will be the hosting RAJAC Chair for the Warrnambool meeting.