I am presenting today as the Co-convenor of A Better Eurobodalla
(ABE), a community forum working to achieve open, accountable and
responsive government in Eurobodalla.
ABE has applied our principles of good governance to the following
Aboriginal Advisory Committee Recommendation (ESC CAR23/012):
‘We the members of the Aboriginal Advisory Committee recommend that
the Eurobodalla Shire Council supports a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum for
an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament. Also, that
the Council advises all residents of Eurobodalla Shire about this decision
and advertises this decision in signs on the council’s properties’.
The governance aspects that I will discuss this morning relate to
the role of the ESC Aboriginal Advisory Committee and its
relationship with council, and
the role of local government in relation to national or federal
issues.
As background, the statement by the nine chief ministers of
Australia supporting the constitutionally enshrined voice to
Parliament, noted the following principles put forward by the
referendum working group for the Voice, that it:
provides independent advice to the parliament and
government
is chosen by First Nations people based on the wishes of local
communities
is representative of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
communities
Is empowering, community-led, inclusive, respectful, culturally
informed and gender balanced and includes youth
is accountable and transparent
works alongside existing organisations and traditional
structures
does not have a program delivery function and
does not have a veto power.
The Eurobodalla Shire Council Aboriginal Advisory Committee is
one of the seven advisory committees to council. Its Terms of
Reference include that:
‘The role of the committee is to promote Aboriginal Culture within
the Eurobodalla Shire and to advise and make recommendations to
Council on matters relating to Aboriginal people.’
The Objectives of the Committee include ‘To advise and liaise with
Council regarding issues impacting on local Aboriginal
communities’.
In August 2018 the Australian Local Government Association made
a Submission to the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional
Recognition relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Peoples.
That submission included that :
‘Local governments across Australia are very supportive of
constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Peoples. At the National General Assembly of Local Government
(NGA) held in June this year over 800 representatives of local
governments voted on motions of national importance to local
governments. One of these motions was that the National General
Assembly endorses the constitutional acknowledgement of
Indigenous Australians as the first peoples of this land.’
These statements and positions firmly place this issue in the realm
of local government across Australia.
More recently at the ALGA June 2023 meeting attended by our
Mayor, the resolution (Motion number 95) was carried that:
‘This National General Assembly acknowledges the Australian
Government’s support of constitutional recognition for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islanders through a Voice to Parliament and
recognises what the Uluru Statement and the Voice to Parliament
will mean for Australia’s First Nations peoples and the broader
Australian community.’
Arguments put against local government taking a position on the
Voice include that this is a political issue and that it is a federal
issue and therefore not the business of local government.
Whether it is liked by individuals or not, local government is part of
the political domain. People stand to be elected on positions that
they take publicly, whether they are part of a recognised political
party or as independents. They are voted in to represent their
constituents. This is political.
Somewhat ironically this issue of the Voice to Parliament sits more
comfortably outside traditional political processes. As we know it
comes from the Uluru Statement from the Heart – a non-partisan
document. While there has been opportunistic politicisation of the
Voice, it has not emerged from a political party but from Australia’s
First Nations peoples.
In Eurobodalla, and particularly in this place, the First Nation’s voice
comes through the Aboriginal Advisory Committee. That message to
Council is to support a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum for an Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.
Twelve months ago, on 26 August 2022 Mayor Hatcher gave us some
very relevant words. I quote:
‘Some members of the community want us to have an opinion and
stand up to advocate strongly, while others think we should stay in our
lane and just deal in roads, rates, and rubbish. A quick look around
local social media makes this contrast clear.
The councillors and I were elected as advocates to the Council on
behalf of community. But we also see our role involves lobbying the
state and federal government on issues you want to see changed. I
believe our Council is more than roads, rates, and rubbish.
When there’s a housing crisis, when there’s potholes on the Princes
Highway and when someone wants a speed limit lowered, we are
contacted. We are looked to when everything goes wrong and asked
to fix things even if it’s not something that local councils do. Just
because it’s not something we do, doesn’t mean we can’t fight for it to
happen.
I believe it’s my role, and that of Council, to show leadership on issues
beyond local government. Anywhere there’s an opportunity to make
life better for our residents, we should and will step in.
Our advocacy shines a light on state and federal issues.’
In recent times the local government sector has made resolutions to
Australian Government on matters including:
climate change and adaptation; transition to net zero; coastal
adaptation planning; housing and emergency response and
resilience.
So, to engage in and impact on national or federal issues is an
intrinsic and important role of local government as the level of
government closest to the people who it serves.
In December 2022 thirty-eight mayors from across Australia issued
a joint statement in support of the upcoming referendum for
constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians. That statement
included that:
‘Local government must play an important role in holding civic
forums, promoting dialogue, and providing a platform for
Indigenous voices to be heard in the debate. We believe that a
successful referendum can be a unifying achievement for
Australia.’
In Eurobodalla, the 2466 people who identified as Aboriginal or
Torres Strait Islanders in the 2021 census represent 6.1% of our
population, compared to 3.4% across NSW and 3.2% across
Australia.
From the ESC Aboriginal Action Plan 2020-2024
‘Council acknowledges, respects and works with the traditional
custodians of the land, and sees our relationship with Aboriginal
people as an important step in building community strength and
resilience. The benefits of strong relationships between Aboriginal
and non-Aboriginal people include: • mutual understanding of the
culture and heritage • building trust between Aboriginal and non-
Aboriginal people • increased sense of wellbeing and community
resilience • acknowledgement and healing of past traumas •
collaboration and meaningful interactions for consultation, and •
nurturing future relationships.’
This resolution gives this council the opportunity to live up to those
goals.
Bernie O’Neil
Co-convenor
A Better Eurobodalla
A Better Eurobodalla 