What is ATSIC? What is ATSIC's responsibilities? Who has the obligation for providing services and monitoring outcomes? These may sound simple questions but it is surprising how much misunderstanding there is about ATSIC.

Regionalisation is the heart of ATSIC. Regional Council Plans are its life-blood that flows amongst agencies which are involved in service delivery, and program and policy design. But the flow is often a trickle and sometimes blocked. It is vital for agencies to recognise ATSIC Regional Council Plans as a key planning tool. This paper will encourage agencies and local governing bodies to get out and communicate with the Regional Councils to improve relationships and get the trickle flowing.

Regional Councils are also influenced by NT and national issues. They also strive to improve their operations and this conference will hear from two prime examples of how people in communities have moulded their governance structures through the ATSIC system to best suit their particular needs - the Torres Strait Regional Authority and Miwatj Provincial Governing Council.

The expression 'Regional Authority' was first used many years ago when ATSIC launched the regional autonomy debate. The challenge is how to improve relationships between ATSIC, local governing bodies, government agencies, and the private sector (which is an untapped source). How can the Government's Building Stronger Regions Stronger Futures policy be utilised to complement ATSIC's regional planning and decision making?

The way forward relies on relationships, responsibilities, and recognition. Good governance is the crucial ingredient to these factors. It is time to meet these challenges head on, face up to obligations and together, strive for better outcomes for Indigenous people and their communities.