Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage report: NT Aboriginal leaders call for more say in federal spending

Aboriginal leaders in the Northern Territory have called for more say in how federal programs designed to help their communities are run, after a report showed the gap between Indigenous people and other Australians has increased in many areas.

Dr Rex Japanangka Granites, a senior Warlpiri man from Central Australia, pastor and mentor to Indigenous children, said locals were best equipped to help change things like the high suicide rate in Aboriginal communities.

"We have the language to deal with those children and the people out on those areas, it is not the white people that are there, NGOs or whatever you call them," Dr Granites said.

"I would think that with us taking control of our children again, it would be better off with us talking in language that they understand and making sure that they wouldn't be running around in the night.

"We would rather do it in the way that we used to."

The Productivity Commission on Wednesday released their Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage 2014 report.

The report found hospitalisations among Indigenous people from intentional self-harm increased by 48 per cent from 2004-05 to 2012-13, while the proportion of adults reporting high or very high levels of psychological distress increased from 27 per cent to 30 per cent over the same period.

The suicide rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was almost twice the rate for non-Indigenous Australians, the report also said.

Diabetes caused about 57 Indigenous people to die per 100,000, while the figure for non-Indigenous people was just five per 100,000.

The proportion of Indigenous people in Australia who said their health was excellent or very good fell from 44 per cent in 2008 to 39 per cent in 2012-13, while the number who said they had not seen a GP also fell.

Call for 'cultural solution'

The founder and director of the Darwin-based Balanu Foundation, David Cole, said youth suicide was an area that required a cultural solution, and past injustices against Aboriginal people could not be ignored.

"Western methodology of psychology and counselling has not worked in the past, still does not work and yet the focus of government funding is still going into services and programs that are delivering support mechanisms that don't have an impact on our people and our youth," Mr Cole said.

Balanu is a Darwin-based charity that aims to address Indigenous disadvantage by connecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth with their culture.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda said the latest report showed society was better at keeping Indigenous children in prison than in school.

"Kids without a future, without hopes, without aspirations are going to turn to things like crime and drugs and we are going to see these results," Mr Gooda said.

"We are not looking for more money, but what we want to is change what you are doing with the money already coming in. We want a say on that."

Money not the answer: Scullion

Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion said more money was not the answer to closing the gap.

"I think this report is a call to arms for every Australian to focus on how we can assist our first Australians in having the same deal that we all take for granted," Senator Scullion said.

"One of the things I am absolutely convinced about is this isn't about more money.

"We have had enough money thrown at this issue to demonstrate that it is like water off a duck's back."

Mr Scullion said while some areas, such as infant mortality figures, health and education had shown improvement, the progress was nothing to be optimistic about.

"The report fundamentally is a reminder of just how badly we have gone in all our attempts in the past," he said.