Australian Indigenous advisory bodies are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory bodies established or proposed to be established by the Commonwealth and state and territory governments. Calls for such bodies, especially for a Commonwealth level Voice to Parliament, became prominent following the release of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, however similar bodies of various levels of independence have existed since the official end of assimilationist policies in the 1970s and the promotion of self-determination and reconciliation. Such bodies generally advise governments on policies and programmes that affect Indigenous Australians, and represent Indigenous interests in public debate. Other advisory bodies have been established in the context of state treaty process, to advise governments and Indigenous groups to prepare for upcoming negotiations.
While the proposed Voice was unique in its proposed implementation through a constitutional amendment, most other advisory bodies are typically proposed to be established via legislation, with their membership democratically elected by First Nations communities. The membership of these bodies is usually made up of representatives from a range of Indigenous organisations and communities. The specific proposed roles and responsibilities of Indigenous advisory bodies varies.
Commonwealth
Current Commonwealth bodies The Coalition of Peaks is an unincorporated body that represents more than 80 Indigenous community groups and peak organisations across Australia. Under a partnership agreement with the Council of Australian Governments (now National Cabinet), Australian governments have promised to consult with the Coalition of Peaks in the creation, implementation and reform of Closing the Gap policies. It is the only federal body representing Indigenous Australian that advises the Commonwealth, and its role is limited to the Closing the Gap strategy.
Past Commonwealth bodies Early proposals and advisory bodies The creation of a federal advisory body with Indigenous members was proposed by the Aborigines Progressive Association (APA) in the 1930s. Following the Day of Mourning protests in 1938, an APA delegation met with Prime Minister Joseph Lyons and Interior Minister John McEwen. The list of ten policy demands drafted by APA leader Jack Patten included the creation of "an Advisory Board, consisting of six persons, three of whom at least should be of Aboriginal blood, to be nominated by the Aborigines Progressive Association".
The APA proposals were rejected by Lyons and McEwen on the grounds that the federal government had no constitutional power to implement them. The subsequent New Deal for Aborigines was drafted without direct reference to Indigenous people, with anthropologist Ernest Chinnery appointed in 1940 as the first Commonwealth Advisor on Native Affairs. At a 1967 referendum, a constitutional amendment was approved granting the federal government the power to make special laws for Indigenous Australians. Prime Minister Harold Holt subsequently announced the creation of the Council for Aboriginal Affairs (CAA) to advise the government on Indigenous policy. The CAA remained active until 1976, but none of its members – H. C. Coombs, Barrie Dexter and Bill Stanner – were Indigenous.
In 1972, the McMahon government organised the National Conference of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Councillors in Canberra, consisting of 66 delegates from state and territory organisations. Peter Howson, minister responsible for the newly created Department of the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts, announced that the conference would be "a truly representative expression of Aboriginal views". The conference passed resolutions in support of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy and Indigenous land rights, both of which were contrary to government policy, but did not emerge as a standing advisory body.
Since 1973, there have been five national Indigenous bodies advising Australian governments. Four were elected and one (the National Indigenous Council) was appointed by the federal government. Other state and territory Indigenous advisory bodies have also been established in some jurisdictions since 2008.
1973–1976: National Aboriginal Consultative Committee The National Aboriginal Consultative Committee (NACC) was created in February 1973 by the Whitlam government's minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Gordon Bryant, with the help of Charles Perkins. Its principal function was to advise the Department of Aboriginal Affairs (DAA) and the minister on issues of concern to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Its members were elected by Indigenous people, who had a turnout of 78% of the 36,338 people on its electoral roll, in November 1973. While it maintained a good relationship with Bryant, it had strong detractors in the DAA. The NACC saw itself as a legislative body, while the government expected them to be purely advisory, and this, along with other conflicts over the name, funding levels and control led to the end of the organisation. The Fraser government commissioned the 1976 Hiatt Committee review of the body, which concluded that it had not functioned as a consultative committee nor been effective in providing advice to government or making its activities known to most Aboriginal people.
1977–1985: National Aboriginal Congress The NACC was reconstituted in 1977 as the National Aboriginal Congress (NAC). Changes included a move to indirect voting of members through regional representatives, a lower budget and a more explicit advisory role. The Hawke government commissioned the Coombs Review into the NAC in 1983, which found that the body was not held in high regard by the Aboriginal community. After being starved of funds, the NAC was abolished by the Hawke government in 1985. In 1988, the Barunga Statement called for a new elected body to be created.
1990–2005: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) was established by the Hawke government on 5 March 1990 as an elected body which had responsibility for administering Indigenous programs and service delivery. It was successful in some areas as being a combined deliverer of services; however, low voter turnout for ATSIC elections, allegations of corruption and a lack of government support led to the demise of the organisation. A 2003 review recommended various changes, including more control of the organisation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at a regional level. The Howard government (with Amanda Vanstone as Aboriginal Affairs minister) decided not to implement these changes however, instead abolishing ATSIC on 24 March 2005, PDF with the support of the Labor party under Mark Latham.
2004–2008: National Indigenous Council In November 2004 the Howard government established the National Indigenous Council (NIC), following a proposal earlier in the year. A government inquiry into the demise of ATSIC recommended in March 2005 "that the NIC be a temporary body, to exist only until a proper national, elected representative body is in place". The same inquiry found that, although the members were respected, there was absolutely no support for the institution; only the government regarded it as legitimate. In early 2008, the NIC was disbanded.
2009–2019: National Congress of Australia's First Peoples In December 2008, the Rudd government asked the Australian Human Rights Commission to develop a new elected Indigenous representative body. This was announced as the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples in November 2009, and was established as a body independent of government. Fewer than 10,000 Indigenous people signed up as members to elect congress delegates, and the Abbott government cut off its main funding stream in 2013. It went into voluntary administration in June 2019, before ceasing completely in October 2019. Calls for a new voice came from the Cape York Institute, headed by Noel Pearson, in 2012 and 2015.
2013–2019: Prime Minister's Indigenous Advisory Council The government appointed Prime Minister's Indigenous Advisory Council was established by prime minister Tony Abbott on 25 September 2013. It consisted of 12 members, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, who would meet three times each year. It was initially chaired by Warren Mundine. Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull restructured the body in early 2017, reducing its size to six members, and abolishing the role of chair. It was later given a pair of co-chairs. It held its last meeting in early 2019.
New South Wales The NSW Aborigines Advisory Council was established under the Aborigines Act 1969. It consisted of nine Aboriginal people who had been elected by the people to represent Aboriginal people of a particular area of the state, for a three-year term. Its inaugural meeting was held on 11 February 1971. The Council discussed topics such as proposed amendments to the Aborigines Act, education, health, housing, the management of Aboriginal reserves and various projects. In 1974, all members of the Advisory Council became members of the Aboriginal Lands Trust of New South Wales, which had been established by the Aborigines (Amendment) Act 1973. The last meeting of the Advisory Council was held on 11 October 1976.
New South Wales had not committed to establishing a state voice to Parliament. The Labor NSW government, headed by premier Chris Minns, came to power promising to spend $5 million on consultation for a treaty process. However, following the defeat of the referendum, there has been no commitment to further action, with the premier stating in October 2023 that "[a]ll we're promising is to start that dialogue" and that any proposed further developments would be taken to an election before being implemented.
Victoria The First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria is a body of 31 elected and appointed members representing Aboriginal Victorians. 22 "General Members" are elected via optional preferential voting in 5 multi-member electorates (known as "Regions"). General Members receiving a sufficient quota in each Region are elected, with the lowest ranking male candidates excluded until at least 40% of the members elected to a region are non-male. 10 "Reserved Members" are appointed, with a member selected by each of the government recognised traditional owner groups. Additional Reserved Member seats may be granted by the assembly on application by an Aboriginal group.
The main task of the Assembly is to work out the rules by which individual treaties will be negotiated between the Victoria Government and the various Aboriginal peoples. It will also establish an independent umpire, the Treaty Authority, to oversee negotiations between Aboriginal groups and the Victoria Government and ensure fairness. It will also establish a fund to help negotiations are take place on an even financial footing among the various groups, and debate and decide which ideas, laws, policies and rights will be the subject of treaty negotiations.
The assembly meets in the chamber of the upper house of the Victorian Parliament, the Victorian Legislative Council. It met for the first time on 10 December 2019, and again met over two days in February 2020. The assembly hopes to agree upon a framework, umpire and process before November 2022, the date of the next state election. The Labor government under Daniel Andrews was supportive, but the Coalition had not made a clear commitment to supporting the treaty process.