Scholarships for First Nations psychology students, new laundries in remote communities, and place-based business coaching and mentoring programs for First Nations businesswomen and entrepreneurs were some of the announcements made as the government spoke about Closing the Gap on Monday.

Speaking in parliament almost 17 years to the day since Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered the apology to the Stolen Generations, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government would invest in a range of new measures to help close the gap, as well as emphasising policies implemented by Labor since assuming government in 2022.

Launching the 2024 Closing the Gap Annual Report and 2025 Implementation Plan, Mr Albanese conceded only five of the 19 targets were on track, however noted, "If we get it right, we can break the cycle that has ensnared generations".

"Today is about facing up to what's not working and learning from what is the success stories in this report have been written by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people themselves," Mr Albanese said.

Speaking in the Senate, Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy said she wanted to be "crystal clear" that "the Albanese government is ambitious for Indigenous Australians…[but] it will take a collective effort".

"We know that when policy and programs are delivered in partnership, when the community-controlled sector is strengthened…we will see real positive changes in the lives of first nations Australians," Senator McCarthy said.

"Healthy country means healthy people…it's about our identity. It's in our blood and it's who we are."

Along with the previously reported announcement to make the price of 30 essential items in 76 remote community stores across Australia the same as in cities, and boost warehouse capacity to make remote community supply chains less vulnerable, the government announced a number of new measures.

These include the upskilling of 20 local First Nations staff in remote stores to build the nutrition workforce; upgrade or build 12 laundries in remorse communities; boost the Indigenous Business Australia's Home Loan Capital Fund; and increase the availability of culturally safe and qualified mental health support by offering scholarships for up to 150 First Nations psychology students.

Furthermore, there will be a two-year extension to the Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme and continuation of the digitisation of at-risk audio and video collections held by First Nations broadcasters, as well as community organisations, by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS).

It builds on previously announced investment from the government into Indigenous communities - especially across the NT and WA - focussing on housing, jobs, and restorative justice.

These include the $707 million Remote Jobs and Economic Development (RJED) program, which aims to create 3,000 jobs in remote Australia over the next three years, replacing the failed Community Development Program (CDP) - and a 10-year, $4 billion housing agreement in partnership with the NT Government, designed to halve overcrowding in Aboriginal communities, will see up to 270 homes built each year.

"We are making $70 million available for more concessional loans to help IBA [Indigenous Business Australia] keep pace with demand," the Prime Minister said.

"A portion of this will be quarantined for single pair of families. This is particularly important for women who are sole carers and are often locked out of home ownership by providing shared equity to people in these situations."

Senator McCarthy said the government believed the foundation of economic security is "jobs, jobs, jobs".

"Our jobs program is about the dignity of work. It is about fair pay and decent conditions," she said.

In a statement, she added: "We are focused on creating jobs with decent conditions in remote Australia, addressing housing overcrowding, supporting healthy children and safe families, and community driven responses to address the causes of crime."

"In 2025 we are building on these investments, focused on easing cost of living pressures in remote communities, our long-term economic empowerment agenda and even greater effort to improve living conditions and wellbeing."

Coalition of Peaks lead convenor, Pat Turner, said Closing the Gap is not "just a policy," but rather "the intentional pursuit to make life better for our people and for the generations that come after us".

"For the implementation to be successful, systems, policies, and governance must evolve. Government must evolve," she said.

"It is our responsibility, in partnership with governments, to strengthen the policies that are working and change the ones that are failing – those that continue to exclude the basic needs of our people."

The Greens' Indigenous spokesperson, Dorinda Cox, said the closing the gap report showed "Australia was failing all Australians - not just First Nations Australians".

"Here's the newsflash Prime Minister: this isn't about the past…this is our lived reality," Senator Cox told the Senate.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said the status quo could not continue.

"People do want to see practical solutions which make a tangible difference to the lives of disadvantaged Indigenous Australians," Mr Dutton said.

"Australians want to see changes on the ground for those Indigenous communities where safety, housing, health, education and employment are critical issues, but by maintaining the status quo, we will not bring about the drastic improvements we all yearn for."