This National Indigenous Reform Agreement has been established to frame the task of Closing the Gap in Indigenous disadvantage. It sets out the objectives, outcomes, outputs, performance indicators and performance benchmarks agreed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG).

Despite the concerted efforts of successive Commonwealth, State and Territory governments to address Indigenous disadvantage, there have been only modest improvements in outcomes in some areas such as education and health, with other areas either remaining static or worsening. Even in those areas where there have been improvements, the outcomes for Indigenous Australians remain far short of the outcomes for non-Indigenous Australians. To Close the Gap in Indigenous disadvantage, COAG has committed to making significant reforms in order to address six specific targets.

COAG recognises that overcoming Indigenous disadvantage will require a long-term, generational commitment that sees major effort directed across a range of strategic platforms or ‘Building Blocks’ which support the reforms aimed at Closing the Gap against the six specific targets. The Building Blocks endorsed by COAG are: (a) Early Childhood; (b) Schooling; (c) Health; (d) Economic Participation; (e) Healthy Homes; (f) Safe Communities; and (g) Governance and Leadership.

COAG recognises that strategies aimed at achieving improvements in any particular area will not work in isolation – the building blocks must fit together through the integration of policy ideas and an agreed approach to their implementation.