Daily news digest June 30
Major Indigenous news stories across Australia today include crucial developments in health, community safety, native supply chains, and board leadership.
Health & Advocacy
Expanded vaccine program:
First Nations people aged 25 to 59 are now eligible for government-funded vaccinations targeting pneumococcal bacterial infections, including pneumonia and septicaemia, through the expanded National Immunisation Program.
Child rights inquiry:
Submissions to the national inquiry into racism, hate, and violence urge the federal government to officially recognise systemic racism as both a child rights and public health emergency.
Bail reform consequences:
Peak legal bodies like the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) continue to warn that the Victorian Government’s recent punitive rollbacks to bail laws are actively driving up First Nations incarceration numbers and worsening the deaths in custody crisis.
Business & Supply Chains
New IBA Board appointed:
Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) announced three new female First Nations directors to its board. Jessica Bulger (Wiradjuri), Bronwyn Dodd (Ngarrindjeri), and Krista Dunstan. They will oversee financial and home loan services focused on bolstering Indigenous economic independence.
Land & Culture
Mimal IPA dedicated:
A formal ceremony in south-central Arnhem Land officially marked the launch of the Mimal Indigenous Protected Area. The site covers over 1.6 million hectares of highly biodiverse plains and wetlands managed by local Rangers.
