[1] Other advisory bodies have been established in the context of state treaty process, to advise governments and Indigenous groups to prepare for upcoming negotiations.
[4] It is the only federal body representing Indigenous Australian that advises the Commonwealth, and its role is limited to the Closing the Gap strategy.
[9][11] 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.
[8] The Hawke government commissioned the Coombs Review into the NAC in 1983,[14] which found that the body was not held in high regard by the Aboriginal community.
[16] 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.
[17] The Howard government (with Amanda Vanstone as Aboriginal Affairs minister) decided not to implement these changes however, instead abolishing ATSIC on 24 March 2005,[18] with the support of the Labor party under Mark Latham.
[20] In December 2008, the Rudd government asked the Australian Human Rights Commission to develop a new elected Indigenous representative body.
[22] Fewer than 10,000 Indigenous people signed up as members to elect congress delegates,[6] and the Abbott government cut off its main funding stream in 2013.
Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull restructured the body in early 2017,[29][30][31] reducing its size to six members, and abolishing the role of chair.
The current Labor NSW government, headed by premier Chris Minns, came to power promising to spend $5 million on consultation for a treaty process.
[33] 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.
It will also establish an independent umpire, the Treaty Authority, to oversee negotiations between Aboriginal groups and the Victoria Government and ensure fairness.
[39] On 11 July 2020, the Victorian Government announced that it would establish a truth and reconciliation commission for Aboriginal Australians in Victoria, the first ever in Australia, with the terms of reference to be worked out collaboratively.
In July 2020, the Victorian Government became the first state or territory to commit to the creation of a truth and justice commission to "formally recognise historical wrongs and ongoing injustices" against Aboriginal people.
[50] In September 2023 the Commission proposed 46 recommendations to improve the child protection and criminal justice systems in Victoria, including raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 years of age, after finding that Aboriginal children were 21 times more likely to be in foster care in Victoria than non-Aboriginal children, and over the previous ten years, the rates of Aboriginal men on remand had grown by nearly 600%.
After a criticised delay,[52] on 26 April 2024 the laws were proclaimed to put them into effect, with Joshua Creamer (chair), Roslyn Atkinson, Cheryl Buchanan, Ivan Ingram and Vonda Malone appointed as commissioners to lead the truth telling inquiry.
[54] On 1 May 2024, the LNP joined Katter's Australia Party and Pauline Hanson's One Nation in a failed motion opposing treaty making.
[55][56] While some have praised the effectiveness of the body, others have criticised it as a "toothless tiger" that is unable to properly hold the government to account on Aboriginal issues.
[57] In May 2021, South Australian premier Steven Marshall announced his government's intention to create the state's first Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
[59] In July 2022 Dale Agius was appointed as the state's first commissioner for First Nations Voice, with the role commencing in August and responsible for liaising with federal government.
[73] Turnout was low, with less than 10% of eligible voters participating,[74] which was the target of criticism by the Liberal Party,[75] who maintained it is open to repealing the state voice if elected.
[77] A six member body "Aboriginal Advisory group" was established in December 2022, to advise the Tasmanian Government on treaty and truth-telling.
Other challenges the body faces include a significant attrition rate in membership, inter-tribal conflict between the Ngunnawal and Ngambri and a lack of resources provided by the ACT government.