Northern Beaches mayor pushes for Sydney council to have its own Indigenous Voice to Parliament
An upscale beach council is pushing for its own Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the form of an advisory committee to address issues impacting local First Nations people.
Mayor Sue Heins of Sydney’s Northern Beaches Council hopes the proposed Aboriginal community advisory group will provide a way for more than 1,400 residents who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander to have input.
The council already engages with Aboriginal people on specific issues and projects, but Cr Heins believes a committee would allow First Nations people to participate in a “bigger and more meaningful” way.
The group would only advise the council on “culturally appropriate” matters such as public artworks, place names and Aboriginal heritage and conservation issues.
The idea for the proposed commission came from local First Nations people.
Sydney’s Northern Beaches has a median house price of $2.5 million and a strong First Nations community of more than 1,400 people
Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins, pictured, said the proposed group is a way for local Aboriginal people to have a more ‘meaningful’ input into their local community
“It’s local feedback… it’s about capturing what’s important to our local Aboriginal community,” the mayor’s note from Cr. Heins.
But some of her fellow Northern Beaches councilors have questioned the proposal, including David Walton.
The Liberal councilor told Daily Mail Australia the area has a large Aboriginal community and the council already has a good working relationship with several First Nations groups.
“We are already in contact with the Aboriginal Land Council. We work closely together and are already an important key holder at the municipality. And we also work closely with the Aboriginal Heritage Group,” he said.
“Are they duplicating systems and processes that already exist?”
Walton said council members were only notified in recent days and there are “a lot of question marks.”
‘Is the advisory board paid? How will they be selected and what will their role be? What is the motivation to form this committee?’ he added.
The average house price on the northern beaches is $2.5 million, while average rental prices are $1,300 per week, according to data from Real estate investor.
But Cr Walton said the territory faces the same cost of living pressures as the rest of Australia.
Liberal Northern Beaches councilor David Walton, pictured, said his community is still hurt by The Voice referendum and fears they will be hurt again if people become outspoken in their opposition to the proposed commission
Some Northern Beaches councilors want to implement their own Voice To Parliament in the form of a new advisory committee. The photo shows supporters of the Voice referendum
He also raised concerns about the cost of the new commission to taxpayers, as the council proposes to increase rates by 5.1 percent – above the current inflation rate of 3.6 percent.
‘There are unknown costs involved. Is it likely that there will be significant costs associated with this?’ said Cr. Walton.
‘At a time when we are already facing a rate increase at the same meeting and given the current pressure on the cost of living, this does not seem the right time.’
Cr. Heins said questions about the group regarding its composition and costs would be detailed in a report prepared by the council’s chief executive.
The proposed advisory committee will be a hot topic of debate at Tuesday night’s council meeting, where Ms Heins will ask the council to support her motion for the chief executive to issue a report on the formation of the group.
The mayor assured that the advisory group would only be approached on certain topics and issues and that the council would always have the final say.
More than 250,000 residents of Sydney’s northern beaches are battling proposed rate increases and cost of living pressures
Cr. Heins believed the group’s creation could also help form a reconciliation action plan.
“While Council has strategy documents that speak to our commitment to engaging, working with and listening to our local Aboriginal community, we need action,” her mayoral note said.
“We need a more holistic approach, one that drives action and is led by an Aboriginal Community Advisory Group that works with staff to ensure we are taking action and not just having conversations.
“We do not have a formal reconciliation action plan, which I believe is integral to showing meaningful respect for our Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.”
Mr Walton is concerned that the proposal could upset many residents.
“My concern is that the community has still not gotten over the pain that the Voice referendum has caused,” he said.
“Something we need to think about: Is the community ready?
‘Maybe it is an unwarranted concern of mine, but if residents are not ready for this [proposed group] it can hurt people.”
Daily Mail Australia contacted Cr Heins for comment.
The defeated Voice referendum result left many First Nations people living on Sydney’s northern beaches reeling