Departmental Structure

EXECUTIVE AND BUSINESS STRATEGY

Director General's Office

Providing support and advice to the Director General, the office also acts as the link between the Department and the Office of the New South Wales Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, the Hon Paul Lynch MP, and other agencies at state and national levels. For publications and the media, the office is the first point of contact for requests. It is responsible for coordinating Departmental briefings and correspondence.

Corporate Services Unit

The Corporate Services Unit is responsible for the smooth operation of all Departmental business support functions. It ensures that the Department's recruitment, salaries, performance management and development systems are in place and that the work environment is healthy and safe and has the skills to deliver on the Department's priorities. The Unit has strategic responsibility for financial systems and processes and tracks budgets and day-to-day finances. It supports the organisation with the appropriate technology and procedures to manage documents and information management; meets its legislative requirement for Privacy and Freedom of Information; and provides suitable information and record systems to meet changing needs. The Unit also provides building services and administrative and receptionist support.

POLICY AND REGULATION

Strategic Policy Unit

The Strategic Policy Unit provides advice to ensure that New South Wales Government policies, programs and activities for Aboriginal people are responsive, relevant and timely. The Unit provides strategic advice, analysis and support to the Two Ways Together Cluster Groups, and has an important monitoring role. It also leads the Economic Development Cluster Group, under which senior officers of key government agencies, such as the Departments of Commerce, Education and Training, Tourism, Natural Resources and State and Regional Development monitor implementation of action plans and measure their performance against key indicators.

The Unit advises the New South Wales Government on cross-agency collaboration, policy and legislative matters affecting Aboriginal people. It is also an advocate in government for Aboriginal people, recognising that Aboriginal people know best the needs of their communities. Its priority is to help agencies engage more effectively with Aboriginal communities.

Secretariat Unit

The Secretariat Unit manages the Chief Executive Officers' Group on Aboriginal Affairs and the Two Ways Together committee structure. The Unit oversees the implementation of Two Ways Together and is responsible for evaluating, monitoring and reporting on progress. The Secretariat Unit also manages the participation of the New South Government on Federal bodies, such as the Ministerial Council of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, and ensures integration between State and Federal processes.

Compliance and Regulation Unit

The Compliance and Regulation Unit is responsible for supporting the functions of the Minister and Registrar, Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW). The Unit contributes to the effective functioning of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council network to meet the economic, social and cultural needs of Aboriginal people. The effectiveness of the network relies largely on coordination between the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council, the Registrar, Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW) and the Department of Aboriginal Affairs.

New South Wales Aboriginal Languages Research and Resource Centre

The New South Wales Aboriginal Languages Research and Resource Centre helps Aboriginal communities to revitalise their languages by providing:

technical advice such as linguistic and teaching advice;
research assistance;
assistance to record language speakers;
relevant language revival related training tailored to community needs;
mentoring of, networking and collaboration between language initiatives across the state;
advice regarding sources of funding available to language projects; and
strong advocacy for the revival of Aboriginal languages.

The Centre is also a central point of contact for members of the public seeking information about Aboriginal languages in New South Wales.

COMMUNITIES AND PROGRAMS

Statewide Services Unit

The Statewide Services Team is based in Sydney and performs a number of strategic and operational functions that include:

monitoring and management of all departmental programs across the state; including the Aboriginal Communities Development Program and projects under the Aboriginal Assistance Fund, which covers priorities determined by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, including the Aboriginal Languages Program, job compacts, the Local Heroes Project, Funeral grants and significant Aboriginal community sponsorship;
implementing Two Ways Together in the Greater Sydney Region and supporting other regions;
managing Family Records and Indexing; and managing access to and indexing of records from the Aborigines Welfare Board, including those of the Aborigines Protection Board;
identifying solutions to address short-term issues relating to the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW).

Regional Offices

A regional structure was established to embrace the delivery of Two Ways Together and to strengthen links with Aboriginal communities through offices at Bourke, Tamworth, Narooma, Coffs Harbour, and Wagga Wagga. The Regional Offices lead Regional Engagement Groups, which have representation for Aboriginal communities as well as State and Federal agencies, in developing Regional Action Plans in response to community-identified needs. See regional office addresses

Aboriginal Trust Fund Repayment Scheme and Family Records Unit

The Family Records Unit was set up to help Aboriginal people gain access to records relating to themselves and their families. The Unit is especially helpful to members of the Stolen Generations who lost connection with their families and communities as a result of past government policies and practices. While the Department has been developing its family history service for several years, an expanded Unit was officially launched on 22 June 2006.

Staffed by several indexing officers and a family history research officer, the Unit provides practical assistance to people seeking access to records. In addition, it is indexing the records of the former Aborigines Protection Board and Aborigines Welfare Board.

The Department of Aboriginal Affairs is the custodian of the records of the Aborigines Welfare Board and Aborigines Protection Board, which are physically housed at State Records NSW. Many of these records are closed to public access because of the personal and confidential information contained in them. As a result, they can only be viewed with the permission of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs.

By contacting the Family Records Unit, people can request access to records, such as photographs and correspondence. The information obtained in these records - especially those of the Welfare Board - can be used to provide evidence to the administrators of the Aboriginal Trust Fund Repayment Scheme at the New South Wales Premier's Department when lodging a claim.