Indigenous Australians who have not had their births registered or are not in possession of a birth certificate are urged to participate at the Pathfinders National Aboriginal Birth Certificate Program sign-up day to be held at Bega Aboriginal Land Council on Monday, February 7.
This will be the last opportunity for Indigenous Australians to receive a free birth certificate from Pathfinders as the funding for the program will cease at the end of February.
Senior manager of Aboriginal Culture and Connections for Pathfinders Hilton Naden said more than 10,000 Aboriginal people have received their birth certificates since the program's inception.
"A birth certificate is essential for people wanting to gain a driver's licence, enrol in school or sporting teams, vote, open a bank account or apply for a tax file number," he said.
"However, Aboriginal Australians are hugely under-represented when it comes to registering births or possessing a birth certificate.
"There are many barriers, including costs, tracking down paperwork, and in some cases, a distrust of government agencies as a result of the impact of issues from the Stolen Generation era.
"We work closely with Land Councils, Justices of the Peace, and the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages to work through the barriers to ensure that participants can have access to this vital piece of paper."
Mr Naden said Pathfinders was committed to doing everything it could to Close the Gap.
"A birth certificate is an important step towards helping Aboriginal people access government services like Medicare, apply for housing, set up a business, or join a sports team."
Pathfinders birth certificate sign-up days
Monday, February 7
Bega Local Aboriginal Land Council
187 Carp St, Bega NSW 2550
9am - 3pm
Tuesday, February 8
Cobowra Local Aboriginal Land Council
193 Vulcan St Moruya
9am - 3pm
Wednesday, February 9
Cullunghutti Aboriginal Child and Family Centre
31 Holloway Rd Nowra
9am - 3pm
