This is called Affirmative Measure - Indigenous provisions. It aims to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians employed in the Australian Public Service (APS).
To be eligible to apply for a position advertised under Affirmative Measure you need to confirm all of the following. You:
- are of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian descent
- identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australian or both
- are accepted as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australian.
About the application process
If you apply through the Affirmative Measure process, you will be assessed against the same recruitment methodologies and capability requirements as other applicants. An Indigenous contact officer will provide cultural support and can help you with the application and selection process.
Confirm your heritage
You can confirm your heritage with either a:
- letter from an Indigenous organisation or Community Elder
- statutory declaration.
Letter from an Indigenous organisation or Community Elder
We prefer a letter from an Indigenous organisation to confirm your heritage. However, we will also accept a letter from a Community Elder.
Use the Confirmation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent letter to confirm your heritage.
Incorporated organisations need to complete all sections except for section D. Unincorporated organisations and Community Elders need to complete all sections except for section B.
Organisations don’t need to use the standard letter. They can provide a statement confirming your heritage using their letterhead. It should include the same details as our letter and must include their Indigenous Corporation Number.
Statutory declaration
If you can’t get a letter from an Indigenous organisation or Community Elder, you need to give us 2 statutory declarations confirming your heritage. You must provide a signed statutory declaration from yourself and either a:
- statutory declaration completed by an APS employee who is also an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander or both
- statutory declaration completed by an Indigenous Service Provider, such as a University Indigenous Support Unit or an Indigenous Medical Service.
Consent statement
You can also give us a consent statement. This allows us to store and use your confirmation of heritage for any of our future Affirmative Measure job vacancies.
This means that you will not have to submit your confirmation of heritage documents again if you apply for any other opportunities with us. You can ask us to cancel your consent at any time.