Defence sets 5% First Nations participation target under new 2025–2030 commitment

Defence has released a new enterprise-wide framework aimed at strengthening outcomes with First Nations peoples, including a target to lift First Nations participation across both the Australian Defence Force and the Australian Public Service workforce in Defence to 5 per cent by 2030.

The Defence First Nations Commitment 2025–2030 sets out a long-term approach to supporting First Nations people to join Defence, thrive while serving or working and transition into fulfilling lives beyond Defence. It is structured around four pillars: Employment and Education; Inclusion and Reconciliation; Health, Wellbeing and Truth-telling; and Economic Empowerment.

Among the practical actions flagged are steps to strengthen cultural recognition across Defence bases and develop First Nations-led Mental Health First Aid training. Defence has also committed to continuing delivery against the Indigenous Procurement Policy, positioning procurement as part of broader efforts to increase economic participation for First Nations businesses within Defence supply chains.

In the commitment’s foreword, Defence Secretary Greg Moriarty and Chief of the Defence Force Admiral David Johnston said Defence has a responsibility to take sustained and practical action, and framed First Nations knowledge and service as central to capability. “Defence recognises the enduring contribution of First Nations peoples, who have long protected Country and served Australia in times of peace and war” they said.

Defence says the commitment is designed to embed action across culture, systems and decision-making, and describes it as a “living and agile” document that will guide engagement with local communities. The commitment is also positioned as aligned with national frameworks, including the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, which is built on partnership between governments and the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations and includes priority reforms intended to change how governments work with communities.

For First Nations service personnel and civilian staff, the announcement places renewed focus on recruitment, retention and culturally safe workplaces—alongside clearer accountability through defined actions and milestones. The 5 per cent target is intended to apply across both uniformed and civilian parts of the Defence workforce, signalling that change is expected across the organisation rather than in a single program area.

Defence has not detailed timelines for each action in its public announcement but the commitment’s framing indicates an emphasis on practical measures that can be monitored over time, including participation, workforce wellbeing and stronger relationships with First Nations communities.

Implementation will be closely watched by communities, current and former personnel, and the wider public sector, particularly as Defence links the initiative to Closing the Gap and to broader work on organisational culture and long-term workforce capability.