Introduction

Image of Afghans and their camels working in inland AustraliaAfghans and their camels working in inland Australia.
The first generation accompanied exploring expeditions across the outback. Their camel teams provided critical transport links, carrying mail and water at a time when reailways were few and far between. The pioneering contribution of the cameleers helped to open up remote inland areas of Australia.
Photograph courtesy of National Archives.

This report provides a snapshot of access and equity issues and responses across Australian Government agencies. State, territory and local governments have also contributed to this report.

An annual Access and Equity Report on federal government agencies’ performance against an access and equity framework has been tabled in both houses of parliament since 1993. This report covers a two-year period from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2008. While some of the examples provided are ongoing programs, the focus is on improvements implemented during these two years.

Community feedback sought in preparing the last report highlighted the need to give attention to the delivery of programs and services to older Australians, women and Humanitarian Program entrants. This report includes a focus on the specific barriers experienced by these clients as well as what agencies are doing to address them.

Chapter 1 provides a brief history of access and equity policy development and gives some highlights of the reporting period. Chapter 2, on community feedback, describes barriers to access and equity with an emphasis on the client groups that are the focus of this report. Sections 3.1 to 3.6 provide a range of good practice examples across all levels of government.

For this reporting period, 83 Commonwealth Government agencies have provided responses.1 Since the last report, published in 2006, many agencies have changed their names or been absorbed or reorganised.

Appendix A contains a list of reporting agencies, acronyms and abbreviations where applicable, and their website addresses.

  1. A total of 83 Australian Government agencies also contributed to the previous Accessible Government Services for All 2006 Annual Report.