Australians emphatically rejected a constitutionally-enshrined Indigenous voice on Saturday, but state and territory governments are going ahead with reconciliation plans of their own.
ACT
* The ACT has already established an elected Indigenous voice to parliament – the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body – which advises government on matters concerning Indigenous Territorians.
* The ACT government committed to starting treaty conversations in the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Agreement 2019โ2028.
NEW SOUTH WALES
* NSW Labor promised $5 million towards establishing a treaty process before the state election in March but has yet to begin consultations.
* Premier Chris Minns has said he would be open to a state voice but did not want to front run discussions with Indigenous leaders about how to move forward following the referendum result.
VICTORIA
* The First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria – an independent, elected body representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional owners – was established in 2019 to prepare for a treaty between First Nations communities and the government.
* The Yoorrook Justice Commission, a formal truth-telling process into historical and ongoing injustices experienced by Victoria’s First Peoples, is due to deliver its next report in December 2024.
QUEENSLAND
* Queensland parliament in May passed the Path to Treaty Bill to establish a First Nations Treaty Institute and a formal Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry.
* The state government has not announced any plans to implement a state-based voice.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
* The SA government legislated a state-based voice to parliament in March but postponed elections to the body until March 2024 to allow the referendum “clean air”, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Kyam Maher said.
* The Weatherill Labor government embarked on a state treaty process in 2016 but it was halted by the previous Liberal government in 2018. The current Labor government has yet to restart the process, focusing on implementing its voice instead.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
* Premier Roger Cook said a state voice was not on the agenda and sought to remind people that the state’s constitution was altered in 2015 to recognise Aboriginal people.
* WA currently has no treaty or truth-telling plans, but some lawyers and academics have called the South West Native Title Settlement between the Noongar people and the state government Australia’s first treaty.
TASMANIA
* The Tasmanian government has committed to “progressing truth-telling and treaty in true partnership with Tasmanian Aboriginal people” and in December appointed a six-member Aboriginal advisory to oversee the process.
* Premier Jeremy Rockliff on Monday said there are currently no plans to advance a state-based voice.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
* After consultation with Aboriginal people across the territory, the NT Treaty Commission developed a two-step process comprising an overarching Territory-wide treaty followed by individual treaties with First Nations.
* After delivering its final report in July 2022, the commission was replaced by a Treaty Unit, which was tasked with implementing the commission’s recommendations for treaty and truth-telling.
