NSW Appoints Treaty Commssioners To Consult With Aboriginal People On Agreement Making

The NSW Government has responded to a call for change, fulfilling its election promise to engage with Aboriginal communities regarding their interest in a treaty process.

The Minns Labor government, with an aim to foster a prominent voice of First Nations People in parliament, has appointed three commissioners to lead a process with Aboriginal people and communities across NSW. 

With a total population of 339,500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in NSW, the state remains home to the largest Indigenous population in the country. They have inherited rights that are enshrined in binding international treaties and reaffirmed in the 984,000 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People.  

Commissioners Appointed

Former senator Aden Ridgeway, academic Todd Fernando, and Koori Mail newspaper editor Naomi Moran have been appointed as commissioners. They will unveil a 12-month plan to seek insight from Aboriginal communities across metropolitan, rural, regional, and remote areas of NSW, to assess how an agreement-making process may look like if it’s desired.  

The commissioners have been selected for a two-year term after a competitive process led by an independent Aboriginal advisory panel. As part of the consultation process, the commissioners have been tasked with asking Aboriginal communities whether they want an agreement-making process with the government, and if so, what form that process could take. 

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said the commissioners were  “appointed following a rigorous process that attracted strong candidates.” 

Aligning with National Agreements 

The initiative will carry out the NSW bipartisan commitment to the 2020 Closing the Gap Agreement signed by then Prime Minister Scott Morrison and then Premier Gladys Berejiklian.  

This entails the government’s pledge to foster formal partnerships and the input from Aboriginal People when making decisions, to assist in closing the gap. This includes societal issues like life expectancy, education, and overall health of the Indigenous community. 

David Harris said, “We get better outcomes when we listen to the needs of Aboriginal people and communities. We must ensure Aboriginal people have a direct say on matters that affect them.” 

Future Plans And Funding Allocation 

You can expect to see a detailed consultation plan developed by commissioners over the next coming months, with the expectation that consultations will be launched in 2025.

Due to the detailed process, interstate treaty and agreement-making processes have not been delivered quickly, although this is the first step in rectifying the divide and injustice of the exclusion of Aboriginal People in decision-making. The journey will be a step in the right direction for Aboriginal People and all NSW taxpayers.  

“The appointment of the treaty commissioners is central to the process of listening to Aboriginal people on treaty and agreement-making,” added Harris.  

The NSW Government has allocated $5 million to this plan from the September 2023 budget.