Professor Megan Davis, Pro Vice-Chancellor Society at UNSW Sydney, has sharply criticized the current state of Indigenous policy in Australia, describing it as incoherent and ineffective in addressing urgent issues faced by Aboriginal communities. Speaking amid ongoing concerns about child protection failures in remote Western Australian towns, Davis highlighted systemic shortcomings that have led to the neglect and harm of vulnerable Indigenous children.

The criticism comes after a series of reports revealing that child protection authorities in the iron ore towns of South Hedland and Port Hedland failed to act on repeated warnings about the safety of three children. Dorothy Papertalk, a Yamaji-Wajarri woman and grandmother to the children, had alerted government caseworkers on multiple occasions that her grandchildren were at risk due to their mother’s drug addiction. Despite these warnings and similar concerns raised by police, the children were not placed in permanent care. In July 2022, the mother, Margaret Hawke, murdered her three children: Jamelia, 10; Arnda, 7; and baby Kelvin, four months.

Following media exposure of these tragic events and broader reports of Aboriginal children living in squalid conditions, the national commissioner for Indigenous children, Sue-Anne Hunter, initiated an investigation. Hunter has confirmed the investigation found instances of human rights violations, including cases where children were deprived of adequate food.

In her recent oration, Davis questioned the effectiveness of government policies such as the national Closing the Gap initiative and Indigenous economic empowerment programs promoted by the Albanese government. She argued that these policies inadequately address the immediate needs of Indigenous children living in poverty. Citing Port Hedland as a case study, she said the situation exemplifies a “buck-passing” culture among authorities, with no clear accountability or control over outcomes.

Davis expressed concern about the growing divide between Indigenous individuals and groups who have a direct voice in government programs and those excluded from meaningful participation. She characterized this as a split between “the haves and have nots,” exacerbated by the complexity and opacity of policies like Closing the Gap. According to Davis, the program’s sprawling and labyrinthine nature hampers understanding and engagement, contributing to frustrations within Indigenous communities.

Moreover, Davis criticized the tendency of governments to consult Indigenous representatives who hold "in-the-room privilege" without legitimate mandates to speak for broader communities. She contended that this dynamic undermines genuine community involvement and reflects deeper structural challenges within Indigenous affairs policy.

“The post-referendum state has shone a light on and amplified the structural challenges that persist,” Davis said, referring to the aftermath of the voice referendum. She concluded that current policy settings might be the most fragmented and ineffective in a generation, calling for a clearer focus on the practical needs of Indigenous families and children living in hardship.