OCHRE 2024: Current status and future direction report

The OCHRE 2024: Current status and future direction report is a special report to Parliament that details the NSW Ombudsman’s assessment of OCHRE over the past 10 years.

The key initiatives under OCHRE are Healing; Aboriginal Language and Culture Nests; Local Decision Making; OCHRE Aboriginal Economic Prosperity Framework; Solution Brokerage; Opportunity Hubs; and Connected Communities.

A common methodology was applied in assessing the initiatives with a particular focus on evidence and input from Aboriginal people living in locations where OCHRE initiatives operate.

This report makes a single core recommendation: that the NSW Government unequivocally recommit to OCHRE as the state’s overarching plan for Aboriginal affairs. This must include embedding OCHRE’s principles into legislation, strengthening governance and accountability mechanisms, and ensuring sustained investment in its initiatives.