Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand have signed a historic Collaboration Arrangement to promote economic, social and cultural advancement in Indigenous affairs.

The new arrangement was enacted by Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP and Minister for Māori Development, the Hon Nanaia Mahuta, at a signing ceremony today in Sydney.

Australian Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP and New Zealand Prime Minister, the Right Hon Jacinda Ardern MP were present for the signing as were the heads of each country’s indigenous agencies, Ray Griggs from NIAA and Dave Samuels from Te Puni Kōkiri.

The new arrangement will allow stronger collaboration on Indigenous issues between Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand and provide an avenue to learn from both countries’ successes and challenges.

The arrangement is a significant milestone in the relationship between Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand. It will help us to share best practice approaches and to develop greater capability within our governments and indigenous organisations as we both seek to improve the lives of our Indigenous peoples.

The collaboration arrangement will also allow greater opportunities for policy exchange and for meetings and dialogues between agencies, staff and indigenous leaders.

It will be guided by principles of partnership, diversity and respect, and while enabled by Government, importantly it will be Indigenous-led.

The National Indigenous Australians Agency will have an important role in supporting this new collaboration and will take an active part in facilitating the activities, where priorities for activities through the collaboration will be refined and the benefits to communities and individuals enabled.

Read full text of the arrangement.