SA becomes first Australian jurisdiction to create First Nations Voice to Parliament

In a historic moment, on Sunday 26 March 2023, the South Australian Parliament passed the First Nations Voice Bill 2023.

The Act establishes Australia's first Voice to Parliament for First Nations people in South Australia.

The Voice will be a connected, direct and independent line of communication for First Nations people to South Australia's Parliament and the government, to allow important, shared communication by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in South Australia.

The First Nations Voice will be made up of Local First Nations Voices and a State-wide First Nations Voice.

• The Local First Nations Voices will be established through elections. Elected members will represent the voices of First Nations people at the local community level.
• The two presiding members of each Local First Nations Voice will make up the State First Nations Voice membership.

The Commissioner for First Nations Voice Dale Agius will be continuing to engage with community over the coming weeks, to share information on the model that has been passed by State Parliament.

As planning for the first election of the local Voices gets underway, more information will be provided on how to nominate and vote.

If you are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and living in South Australia, make sure you are on South Australia's electoral roll. This is an important step to take before the first election. Read the information sheet (PDF, 1.1 MB) to learn more about the model that has been passed by Parliament.

(Original text. CC BY 3.0 AU)