How have we got here?

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.

First steps

As a first step in the state-based implementation, the government appointed the inaugural Commissioner for First Nations Voice, Dale Agius, to lead a series of community engagements.

The Commissioner held community engagements between August and October 2022 to seek the views of First Nations people about a Voice to the South Australian Parliament.

The Commissioner's First Engagement Report (PDF, 2.7 MB) was released in November 2022. This engagement round found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are seeking:

  • A direct Voice to South Australian Parliament.
  • A Voice that is elected by First Nations people, to represent the grassroots communities.
  • The Voice to represent the diversity of the South Australian First Nations communities – including nation group diversity, gender, youth, and LGBTQIA+ people.
  • Direct access to government decision-makers, including Cabinet and chief executives.

Commissioner for First Nations Voice to the South Australian Parliament - Engagement Report

In November 2022, the Government also released a First Nations Voice model, and a draft First Nations Voice Bill - based on the Commissioner's findings from the first engagement round.

The draft First Nations Voice Bill 2022 outlined a model that would provide First Nations people, who are elected by First Nations people in their communities, the ability to speak directly to Parliament, as well as engage with all levels of government.

Second round of engagement

The Commissioner then commenced a second round of community engagement to seek feedback on the proposed model, including face-to-face statewide engagements with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and written submissions.

Following this, a number of changes were made to the draft Bill including:

  • alterations allowing for the Voice to address either the House of Assembly or the Legislative Council in relation to any specific Bill which is considered of interest to the state Voice
  • the establishment of specific committees representing young persons, Elders, Native Title holders and members of the Stolen Generation, to advise the State First Nations Voice
  • provisions designed to ensure that the Voice does not impact on Native Title agreements or other First Nations organisations
  • a clearer definition of the terms 'First Nations person' and 'Traditional Owner'.

Read the Engagement Report (PDF, 2.9 MB).

Stage 2 Engagement Report

Third engagement process

The Commissioner undertook a third round of engagements from October 2023 to March 2024. This included communities spanning all regions in South Australia (rural and metropolitan areas).

Engagements included face-to-face and virtual sessions to inform and raise awareness about:

  • the SA Voice model
  • Local and State SA Voice roles and responsibilities, and
  • the inaugural SA Voice election on 16 March 2024, including nominations and voting processes.

Read the Engagement Report (PDF, 2.6 MB).

Passing the Bill

The SA First Nations 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 SA First Nations Voice will be made up of 6 Local First Nations Voices and a State First Nations Voice.

First Nations Voice model (PDF, 250.6 KB)