How Cape York model could save the children at risk in WA

By the Editorial Team · Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Retired judge Paul Anastassiou recommended that Western Australia’s remote Indigenous communities adopt elements of Queensland’s Cape York model, which uses income management and alcohol restrictions to address child safety concerns. This approach has shown significant reductions in child welfare reports and domestic violence in Cape York, highlighting the potential for community-led interventions to reduce overrepresentation of Aboriginal children in care.

A recent inquiry into child safety in Queensland has highlighted Western Australia’s remote Indigenous communities could benefit from adopting elements of the Cape York model, which emphasizes income management, welfare reform, and alcohol restrictions. The recommendation comes from retired Federal Court judge Paul Anastassiou KC, who led the state’s child safety commission-of-inquiry and delivered his report in May 2026.

Anastassiou pointed to the approach developed by Aboriginal leader Noel Pearson and the Cape York Institute, which established the Family Responsibilities Commission (FRC) in five Cape York communities starting in 2008. The FRC works in collaboration with community elders to oversee income management plans, welfare quarantining, and alcohol-management strategies as tools to tackle factors contributing to child removals, including alcohol and drug abuse, passive welfare dependence, and domestic violence.

“The Cape York Institute’s approach may well be highly applicable in Western Australia,” Anastassiou said, noting success depends on leadership within Indigenous communities capable of supporting the model’s implementation. He emphasized that the FRC effectively addresses the “proximate causes” behind the overrepresentation of Aboriginal children in state care, which currently accounts for roughly half of all children in care in Queensland.

Despite recognition of the FRC as a notable success and a potential framework for replication, uncertainty persists regarding its continuation and expansion. A funding agreement between federal and state governments expired at the end of June 2026 and remains unsigned, although both sides have indicated a renewed deal is forthcoming. Meanwhile, Queensland’s current child safety commissioner, Tammy Williams, has been asked to reapply for her position twice, with her contract due to expire shortly.

In practice, the FRC calls confidential conferences involving welfare recipients when there are concerns such as criminal convictions, school absenteeism, child safety reports, domestic violence orders, or tenancy breaches. Commissioners, who are respected elders in communities including Hope Vale, Mossman Gorge, Coen, Aurukun, and Doomadgee, have the authority to impose income management conditions but primarily focus on connecting families to support services.

The 2024-25 annual report for the FRC showed positive trends in Aurukun, a Cape York community. Voluntary income management agreements increased by 32%, from 108 to 143, while child safety and welfare notices decreased by 45%, and domestic violence breach notices dropped by 33%. The report attributed these outcomes to growing community trust in the FRC process, although it acknowledged challenges remain, such as the absence of alcohol and drug programs in Aurukun.

Hope Vale commissioner Dorreen Hart, a former health council chief executive and grandmother of 16, praised the model’s impact on reducing the number of children entering the child protection system. She described income management as a useful tool that helps parents prioritise essential needs like school lunches and household appliances, and underscored the importance of community commitment to “co-change.”

The Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak cautioned that any extension of measures such as the FRC or alcohol-management plans should be determined through locally led processes involving Indigenous elders and traditional owners.

Anastassiou expressed concern that Indigenous children remain disproportionately represented in child protection systems due to government hesitancy, influenced by historical mistakes such as the Stolen Generations. He argued that officials sometimes prioritize cultural connections over children’s immediate safety and best interests, which can place vulnerable children at risk. “The problem arises when the evaluation of a child’s needs is coloured by other objectives,” Anastassiou said, calling for a balanced approach that safeguards both the child’s welfare and cultural ties.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.