Governance of Indigenous Data Framework

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is committed to working in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to ensure that data collection, access, and use is shaped by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural knowledge, priorities, values and aspirations. 

The Australian Public Service (APS) Framework for Governance of Indigenous Data (the Framework) provides a stepping stone towards greater awareness and acceptance by Australian Government agencies of the principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty. It supports greater agency for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples over how their data are governed, and guides the APS in building robust, culturally responsive governance over Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander data held by the Commonwealth.  

Over the next seven years the ABS will implement the Framework across our data practices. We recognise that better outcomes are achieved when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them. This Framework presents an opportunity to build on the ABS’s existing commitments and take further steps to improve the governance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander data and statistics.   

We are dedicated to ensuring that our approach is collaborative, transparent, and grounded in respect for Indigenous knowledge systems and self-determination. By centering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and priorities, the ABS aims to ensure that data not only reflects but also amplifies and empowers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.