The future of Australia's car industry workers, ways to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians and an agreement to cut bureaucracy has dominated the year's final meeting between the Commonwealth and the State and Territory leaders.
(Transcript from World News Australia Radio)
The leaders have promised to make a real difference in the delivery Indigenous education and to ensure that no child is without a proper education as soon as possible.
The states and territories have also signed deals with the Federal Government to improve the way environmental approvals for major projects are handled.
The meeting also discussed details of a compensation package for car workers to be announced as early as next week.
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Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he and the State and Territory leaders have agreed to respond swiftly to Holden's decision to stop car production in South Australia and Victoria in 2017.
Mr Abbott says he recognises a need for urgent action and he'll be outlining a plan soon which will include how much such action might cost.
Victorian Premier Denis Napthine says the Commonwealth will work with Victoria and South Australia in terms of a structural adjustment package and assistance package focused at four levels.
"Certainly, to look at assistance for the affected workers, in terms of their retraining opportunities and new job opportunities and also the supply chain sector and of course the broader jobs growth opportunities across Victoria, South Australia and across all states and territories, and the opportunities that that provides for all of us in Australia."
The leaders say there was a constructive discussion on Indigenous issues, which will now become a standing item in future COAG meetings under Mr Abbott's leadership.
Mr Abbott says there is great enthusiasm amongst premiers and chief ministers to get much better practical outcomes, particularly with getting children to school every day.
The meeting agreed to consult with Indigenous communities to find ways to make a real and practical difference to lives.
The Northern Territory's Chief Minister, Adam Giles, says he's encouraged by the commitment to ensure that at least 90 per cent of Indigneous children attend school as soon as possible.
Mr Giles says it's time something that actually works is put in place as it is a particular problem for his state.
"We are working with the Prime Minister and (Indigenous Affairs) Minister (Nigel) Scullion on a joint basis about what measures we can put in place to work to encourage greater school attendance. Remove some disincentives, but also put in place a few punitive measures to encourage parents to send their kids to school. In the development of northern Australia, in particular, we need to make sure that we've got a solid work force for the future. And on current projections we don't have that solid work force coming through."
The states and territories have agreed with the Commonwealth to deliver more streamlined environmental approvals for major projects.
Tony Abbott says all the leaders have signed an agreement which will make the system simpler and quicker.
"We hope that in the not-too-distant future, we will have approvals bilaterals in place which will mean that the States will not only do the assessment but they will also be able to do the approvals. The same high standards of environmental approval but much less red and green tape (bureaucracy), much less paperwork for the applicant and a much swifter outcome, we hope, which means more investment and more jobs."
Also raised was the topic of adoption, which will be on the agenda in more detail at the next leaders' meeting next May.
Mr Abbott says it's an issue which is very important to a lot of people.
"One of the oddities about a modern Australia is that there are so many people who would love to be parents but for all sorts of reasons it's very difficult. There is no doubt that there are a lot of children both here and abroad that would benefit from a good home. Now, it's been very difficult to adopt both both domestically and it's not easy to adopt from overseas. I think this is an issue that could benefit from attention at the highest levels of government."
The meeting also discussed federal schools funding, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and the Coalition's Paid Parental Leave Scheme, although Mr Abbott says the talks were limited.
