2021

1. 17 December Recognition

   Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt releases the Indigenous Voice Co-design Process Final Report and announces the next steps to establish Local & Regional Voices.

   The Indigenous Voice Co-design Process commenced in October 2019. Through the design stage, three co-design groups comprising 52 members from around the country, developed the detail of what an Indigenous Voice could look like and how it could work. During the consulting stage, more than 9,400 people, communities and organisations provided feedback on the proposals in discussions around the country and online through surveys and submissions.

2. 17 December Treaty Politics

   The Australian government reveals the new model of First Nations Australians’ voice to parliament as a series of local bodies and a national body, but declines to set these up until after the 2022 election or embed them in the Constitution. It also gives no details about their structure and boundaries.

   The 25 to 35 local and regional voice bodies form the consultative groups that would eventually have input into representatives on the national body. The national body would report to both the Australian parliament and government, reflecting the different roles of government and parliament in making laws and policies.

2022

1. 7 December Treaty

   The NSW Coalition government gives in-principle support to enshrine a First Nations Voice to parliament in the Constitution.

2. 16 December Politics Recognition

   The Australian government scraps the requirement for citizenship ceremonies to be held on Australia Day (January 26). Councils can now schedule ceremonies to take place between January 23 and 29. A number of councils had already rescheduled their ceremonies to other days.

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