Current opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations

The Victoria and Tasmania Region within the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) is seeking to fill an Engagement Assistant Director role. Located in Hobart, Tasmania, this leadership role drives the NIAA’s engagement efforts with First Nations communities in Tasmania.

You will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Tasmania Engagement team and lead work that advances the self-determination aspirations of First Nations communities in the State, while supporting the delivery of the Australian Government’s priorities, including implementation of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

For details, click here. Closes 7 May 2025.

The Land and Sea Aboriginal Corporation Tasmania (LSACT) is the first not for profit and registered charity to operate commercial abalone fisheries and establish a domestic food tourism market. Working with the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation
(ILSC) and the Tasmanian Government, LSACT is furthering training and business
opportunities.
The Wave to Plate program is run and led by Aboriginal Tasmanians, offering a supported environment to enable Aboriginal people to gain and succeed in employment in the areas of fisheries and maritime to hospitality and tourism. We elevate Aboriginal leadership in our work, through growing strong communities and cultural knowledge of Sea Country.
We have workplace mentors who link services, people, industry and skills together for increased employment impact. Our Employment Service Officer and mentors will help navigate partnerships between Aboriginal communities and employers to improve workforce capacity and retention, bringing opportunities, especially to our youth and women, to foster successful employment outcomes.

For details, click here.

The Department of State Growth invites applications from Tasmanian artists to create sculptural outdoor seating for the new JackJumpers High Performance Training Centre in Kingston.

The sculptural seating will create a visual feature outside the building and be used by team, staff and other users of the centre.

For details and to apply, click here. Applications close 2 June 2025.

The Department of State Growth would like to commission an outdoor mural to be painted directly onto a TasNetworks power substation located outside at the entrance to the facility site.

The mural will be a prominent visual feature near the site entrance and should be welcoming, accessible and relevant to the audience.

For details and to apply, click here. Applications close 2 June 2025.

Arts Tasmania sends a monthly newsletter with news and opportunities for artists, arts workers and people working and volunteering in museums and collections.

You can sign up for the Arts Tasmania newsletter here.

In 2017, TasWater decided to try using street art to tackle unsightly graffiti. The pilot program rolled out in 2018 and engaged local youth and mentor artists. Together they planned the theme of each mural and worked to deliver some of the largest scale murals ever produced in Tasmania.

Over time the program evolved from being strictly about graffiti management, and became a way for TasWater to give back to the community. We re-imagined each space and turned it from an ugly eyesore into a beautiful artwork which inspired young people and made the community proud. Currently there are 24 locations across the state with artwork, with two planned for 2025. Examples:

• Orford
• Tolosa Reservoir
• Glenorchy
• Avoca

To register your interest in participating in the Asset Art program, visit one of the artwork pages (eg this one) and click on the “Get Involved” tab.

You can also contact the TasWater Community Programs Team:

• Phone 13 6992
• Email [email protected]

Reconciliation Tasmania has a contact list to notify First Nations artists living in Tasmania about commissioning opportunities from our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) clients. We are calling for expressions of interest from:

• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander artists who are living in Tasmania;
• Tasmanian Aboriginal artists, wherever you live

For more information and to register, click here.

Associate Professor Emma Colvin (Charles Sturt University), Associate Professor Isabelle Bartkowiak-Theron (University of Tasmania) and Dr Mike Guerzoni (University of Tasmania) are holding a focus group on challenges for Indigenous people seeking bail.

The researchers are interested in bringing together:

• lawyers representing clients
• professionals (especially Indigenous professionals) working with organisations that provide services that will assist Indigenous people seeking bail, eg housing
• Aboriginal controlled organisations

The aim of the focus groups is to look to strengths-based, community driven solutions to over-representation.
Two workshops are being held where you can attend to hear about the research, and connect with other professionals working in this space. A focus group will be held at each workshop with a discussion about the challenges, what solutions you have to offer, and how to implement these solutions.

• Monday 5 May from 10am-11.30am at Hobart Excelsior Biscuit Works
• Tuesday 6 May from 1pm – 2.30pm at Hobart Excelsior Biscuit Works

For further information, contact Tyenna Hogan: [email protected]

Are you an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander employee? Join the Gari Yala ‘speak the truth’ survey, to share their workplace experiences as part of the next research project and help make workplaces more inclusive and culturally safe! 🤝✨
The survey is led by UTS Jumbunna Institute and UTS Business School with partner Diversity Council Australia Ltd and funding from NAB Foundation.
The survey is also supported by Reconciliation Australia and Supply Nation.
The goal is to create safer, fairer, and more culturally inclusive workplaces, improve access to quality jobs and meaningful careers, and ensure First Nations people can fully participate in the Australian workforce. The survey will help track changes in the experiences of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees since the first study conducted in 2020.
This is a world-first, Indigenous-led study—the only one of its kind in Australia—designed by and for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. It follows Indigenous research methodologies and has been ethically reviewed through the UTS ethics process.
The survey takes around 20 minutes to complete and is completely confidential.

For more information and to do the survey, click here. Survey closes 5 May at 5pm.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss will be bringing her Informing the Agenda listening tour to Launceston and Nipaluna / Hobart. The consultation has a particular focus on 6 key areas:

• Increase Access to Justice for First Nations communities
• Promote the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration)
• Advocate and guide implementation of the three pillars of the Uluru Statement from the Heart —Voice, Treaty, Truth
• Support First Nations health equality
• Provide advocacy and guidance to progress Land Justice Reform
• Build the capacity of the First Nations Human Rights Network

Don’t miss the opportunity to meet with Commissioner Kiss and highlight the issues affecting your communities. These consultations will form the basis of a discussion paper, contributing to the Social Justice Report in 2025, and will shape the next steps in the collective efforts toward reconciliation and equality.

• Launceston: Monday 12 May, 12.30pm-3.30pm at the Aboriginal Elders Council of Tasmania. Register here.
• Nipaluna / Hobart: Thursday 15 May, 12pm-3pm, Venue – TBA. Register here.

Sherlock & Dutta Consulting are conducting a survey on behalf of the Tasmanian Government about:

• the experience of racism by individuals (whether personally experienced, observed or not experienced at all), and
• the perceptions and beliefs held about cultures and ethnicities other than one’s own. 

The anonymous findings will be shared with the Tasmanian Government and broader community to raise awareness, inform policy decisions and promote greater social cohesion. The results may also help shape recommendations, policy and education programs for Tasmania that address racism and may also be made available to other research projects in the future.

For more information and to do the survey, click here.

The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is inviting opportunities to contribute to the “Informing the Agenda” Project. The Project seeks to collate and communicate the perspectives of First Nations Peoples across Australia on the key issues affecting their lives, and to ensure First Nations voices are elevated in national conversations relevant to the fulfillment of their human rights.

These perspectives inform the agenda of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner (Social Justice Commissioner), Katie Kiss, regarding key challenges First Nations Peoples consider worthwhile pursuing over her five-year term; the critical elements that are producing positive outcomes in the present, and how to work together to drive transformative change for First Nations communities across the policy and legislative landscape.

It will also provide an opportunity for stakeholders to provide input into key focus areas that:

• promote better engagement with First Nations Peoples
• create the conditions for better outcomes
• progress a reframed relationship between First Nations and the broader Australian community.

The Project invited participation in three different formats to “Inform the Agenda”. This included:

• Community and online consultation events – click here for a list of dates and locations
• Face-to-Face and online engagements – if your organisation would like to contribute through these engagements, please email [email protected]
• Online survey (CLOSED)
• Written submission (CLOSED)

Hydro Tasmania wants to build and strengthen relationships, and from this hear about the needs and wants of Tasmanian Aboriginal people so we can better reflect these through action.
For details click here or contact the Aboriginal Engagement Team [email protected]

The Family and Sexual Violence: Supporting Diverse Communities Grants Program 2024-25 (FSV Grants Program) will provide grants up to $80,000 per application for community organisations to deliver community-based projects and/or enhanced service capability to support inclusion, access and equity for diverse people and groups who experience barriers to support for family and sexual violence.

Please note that the guidelines have recently been updated to enable a broader range of groups to apply. If you have already submitted an application, you can update it.

For details, click here. Applications close at 10am on 30 April 2025

The Arts and Culture Grant is open to creatives and cultural practitioners at all stages of their career, working across a range of established and emerging art forms and disciplines, as well as eligible organisations and community groups who wish to explore a creative or cultural project of interest that demonstrates a connection to the Launceston local government area.

A variety of creative and cultural projects are supported, including visual art, theatre, performance, writing, literature, music and events.

There are two tiers of funding available for project/activity support:

• Level 1: up to $5,000
• Level 2: $5,001 to $10,000

For details, click here. Applications close on 12 May 2025

Arts Tasmania offers grants and funding to support:

• Tasmanian small museums and collections
• Tasmanian artists and arts workers
• arts businesses and arts organisations delivering activities in Tasmania

For information and to subscribe to Arts Tasmania’s mailing list, click here.

The First Nations Clean Energy Network’s Finance and Funding Opportunities page highlights some of the funding opportunities available to assist First Nations households, communities and businesses transition to renewable energy.

To see the latest opportunities, click here.

The scholarship aims to support a Tasmanian Aboriginal student with financial support for the duration of their undergraduate degree, and to offer the successful applicant opportunities to connect with Reconciliation Tasmania.

For details, click here.

The Riawunna Centre provides a number of scholarships and bursaries as part of the University of Tasmania’s Scholarships Program which provides students with significant financial and academic support to study.

Awards are offered in a wide range of disciplines and selection is based on academic merit and/or financial need. They are available to students studying at undergraduate, honours, and postgraduate coursework levels.

Applicants must meet the Commonwealth definition of Aboriginality to apply for these scholarships.

For details, click here.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid course teaches participants how to provide initial support to an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander adult who may be experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis, until professional support is received, or the crisis resolves.

This strengths-based course has been developed and reviewed in consultation with Australia’s First Nations people. The course ensures participants are grounded in social and emotional well-being from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective, equipping them with the skills to provide mental health first aid in a culturally safe and informed way.

For information and bookings, click here.

The Palawa Business Hub is a place of connection and opportunity. They offer culturally appropriate support and pathways for Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander people in Lutruwita/Tasmania who want to grow, create and thrive in their own businesses. 

Their Events page offers everything from sessions on legal business requirements, creating a safe workplace, and much more. These events and sessions are statewide.

The Palawa Business Hub website also has a directory of Tasmanian Aboriginal businesses – click here

The annual National NAIDOC Week Awards Ceremony recognises the outstanding contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make to improve the lives of people in their communities and beyond, and to promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues in the wider community.

The Awards Ceremony also seeks to recognise and celebrate those who have demonstrated excellence in their chosen field. We proudly highlight our national winners, as we learn about their journey, and from their inspirational stories.

This Awards Ceremony allows us to pay tribute to our people’s achievements whilst acknowledging that their work enriches our communities, our people and this nation.

Each year winners are awarded in each of the following categories:

• National NAIDOC Person Award
• National NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement
• National NAIDOC Female Elder Award
• National NAIDOC Male Elder
• National NAIDOC Sportsperson
• National NAIDOC Youth Award
• National NAIDOC Creative Talent Award
• National NAIDOC Caring for Country and Culture Award
• National NAIDOC Education Award
• National NAIDOC Innovation Award

For details, and to nominate someone, click here.

The Bugmy Bar Book is a free, evidence-based resource for lawyers and legal decision-makers, as well as policy-makers and other professionals.

Its chapters are accessible summaries of key research about the impacts of experiences of trauma, socioeconomic inequality, structural disadvantage and strengths-based rehabilitation. 

Chapters may provide an evidence base to support legal advocacy and decision-making, and are intended to promote improved understanding of the experiences of people who are brought into contact with the legal system.

While a key function of this project is to assist legal practitioners in the preparation and presentation of material in sentencing proceedings to establish the application of the principles in Bugmy v The Queen (2013) 249 CLR 571, these publications may also have relevance in other criminal law contexts, such as bail and mental health diversionary applications, as well as in various civil law practice areas, proceedings before tribunals, coronial inquests and other inquisitorial jurisdictions.

For further information and to access the Bugmy Bar Book, click here.