The National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, Sue-Anne Hunter, is in WA's Pilbara region this week in the wake of reports of children being neglected in Port Hedland.
Commissioner Hunter noted on Wednesday she is convening an independent roundtable on child safety in Boorloo / Perth this Friday, announced last week after calls from Indigenous leaders.
"The WA Child Safety Roundtable: Pilbara Region ... follows my time on Country, where I will engage with community leaders, families and other key stakeholders with direct knowledge and experience of the issues facing Aboriginal children and young people of the Pilbara region," she said.
"The roundtable will provide a culturally safe forum for Aboriginal leaders and community members to discuss the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal children and their families, as well as the broader systemic issues affecting their communities.
"Meaningful engagement with communities is central to my role as National Commissioner and essential to informing effective policy, practice and decision-making."
The Commissioner said the insights shared through the roundtable "will help ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives are at the centre of discussions on matters that affect them and will inform my independent advice and any recommendations I make to governments".
She said she will address the media after the gathering.
Dr Jacqueline McGowan-Jones, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA, attended a meeting with Elders in Port Hedland with Commissioner Hunter.
"Today's meeting with Elders was about protecting our children and building systems that better protect and support them. It has reinforced that the way forward must start with listening to the people who know their community and children best," she told National Indigenous Times.
"We need to turn that listening into practical action - with children's safety and wellbeing at the centre, and with governments and services working together to address the issues raised by community. We know these challenges cannot be solved through crisis responses alone. We need to invest earlier and listen better.
"The voices of Elders, children and young people must continue to be part of the decisions that affect their lives, and I will continue to advocate for that as we work towards meaningful and lasting change."
Earlier this month Western Australia's Child Protection Minister Jessica Stojkovski flew to the Pilbara after The Australian reported on a state government-owned home in South Hedland (part of Port Hedland) at which allegedly up to 15 children, including the children of the tenants, were being left in poor conditions unsupervised for days at a time.
