Despite Australia overwhelmingly rejecting an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, a city council has voted unanimously to establish a similar body.
The City of Melbourne’s 11 councilors voted on Tuesday night to establish a First Nations advisory committee that will “participate in the governance of the council.”
According to its draft brief, the commission will ensure that “First Nations voices and aspirations must be embedded in our core activities and decision-making at every level as we pursue reconciliation, recognition, respect and truth-telling.”
Melbourne City Council, which meets at Central City Hall (pictured), has voted to establish an Indigenous advisory body
To fulfill this role, the committee will “provide advice to support the development and implementation of strategies, policies and plans adopted by the City of Melbourne on matters that may impact First Nations people and communities.”
There will be 12 representatives on the committee, although there will only be nine First Nations representatives who “collectively represent the broad demographics” of First Nations communities in the city of Melbourne.
The city of Melbourne is located on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin nation.
The nine representatives, who will serve a three-year appointment, will receive $300 per meeting as sitting fees, with the committee meeting at least four times a year, with a budget of $30,000 allocated to cover initial costs.
Melbourne Mayor Sally Capp, who holds the Aboriginal Melbourne portfolio, will lead the committee.
Cr Capp said the committee represented a “clear statement” from council.will engage meaningfully with First Nations communities on decisions that impact their communities.
“We must stand up for First Nations peoples and raise their voices and I look forward to working with the commission to strengthen our reconciliation journey,” she said.
While only 39 percent of voters supported the proposed constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament in the October referendum, the measure received 77 percent support in Melbourne City Council.
Councils bordering Melbourne City, including Yarra and Darebin, have already introduced Indigenous advisory councils.
Meanwhile, councils in regional areas have debated whether to continue opening all official gatherings with a recognition of the country.
South Australia’s Naracoorte Lucindale Council, which covers the state’s Limestone Coast region, voted last week to replace the recognition with a more “inclusive statement”.
Future meetings will begin with a modified acknowledgment: “We recognize and respect our complex history. We welcome everyone to build our future together.”
Melbourne Mayor Sally Capp (pictured) said the new commission will stand up for First Nations peoples
Indigenous performers from Melbourne’s Bunurong Boon Wurrung peoples perform a Welcome to Country
Reconciliation SA denounced the move, claiming it was an example of the council’s “backtracking on progress”.
Mayor Patrick Ross Ross defended the change, saying it was in line with recommended protocols.
“I was guided by the local government handbook, which makes no mention of recognition to the country,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘It was clear to me that everything we do as a municipality must be inclusive.
“About 25 percent of our community was born abroad in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria, so I didn’t see a need for a prayer.”
Late last year the Northern Areas Council, located 200 kilometers north of Adelaide, passed a motion to remove official recognition from meetings and official correspondence.