Over 300 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders in Australia sought a new national representative body following the failure of the 2023 Voice to Parliament referendum, local media reports said on Thursday.
The Council of First Nations organized a three-day gathering in Port Douglas, a town on the Coral Sea in the tropical far north of Queensland, where participants discussed and expressed in-principle support for the formation of a new national representative body led by Traditional Owners, according to ABC News.
Supporters argued that the new body should be led by Traditional Owners and provide a stronger national voice for First Nations people.
However, there were concerns that the meeting was dominated by government-recognized native title bodies and Aboriginal Land Councils, leaving out broader grassroots voices.
According to Richie Ah Mat, acting CEO of the Cape York Land Council, the majority of the attendees were government-recognized native title representative bodies and Aboriginal Land Councils.
Delegates will now return to their communities to seek feedback on the proposal, with funding and membership structures yet to be determined.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the "First Peoples of Australia," having lived on the continent for over 65,000 years.
In 2023, the majority of Australians rejected a historic referendum to recognize the role of Aboriginal minorities in the Constitution.
Dubbed a "Voice to Parliament," if passed, it would have received a constitutional right to advise parliament on policies related to it for the first time in the nation's history.
