Today (19 March), we recognise National Close the Gap Day, a time to reflect on the work still required to achieve genuine equity in health, education, and employment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This year’s theme – Community Voices: The Pathway to Justice, Equality, and Healing – is a powerful reminder that lasting change cannot be imposed. It must be led by communities themselves.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Closing the Gap is not just about targets or reporting. It is about our families, our communities, and our right to live long, healthy, and connected lives – grounded in culture, identity, and self-determination.
Justice, equality, and healing are shaped by whether systems listen, whether decisions are shared, and whether communities are trusted to lead the solutions that affect them.
At UniSQ, this responsibility guides the way we embed First Nations perspectives across the University. Our First Nations Workforce Strategy 2026–2030 sets a clear direction for growing and strengthening our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce, both within the First Nations portfolio and across the institution.
We are also deepening our engagement with communities – particularly across the Toowoomba, Inala, Ipswich, and Logan regions – to build meaningful research and partnership opportunities shaped by local priorities.
This commitment extends to how we design our spaces and experiences, including increasing First Nations visibility in major projects such as the Ipswich Health Building and the new Toowoomba student accommodation.
We continue to create opportunities for our community to listen, learn, and connect through cultural immersions, such as ‘Walk on Country’ experiences, led by our Senior Cultural Lead Paul Carmody.
We are proud to recognise the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates through the Alumnus Award for First Nations Excellence.
National Close the Gap Day is one of our recognised Days of Significance at UniSQ, but it should not stand alone. It is a call to listen more deeply, to act with purpose, and to walk alongside communities in a way that respects knowledge, culture, and leadership.
When community voices lead, we move closer to justice, equality, and healing.
