Mayors and executive staff of Queensland’s 17 First Nations councils, pictured at last week’s LGAQ Indigenous Leaders Forum in Brisbane, have welcomed a bipartisan election commitment by Labor and the LNP to establish an accord that will give them a seat at the decision-making table. Photo: Supplied.
Queensland’s First Nation councils have welcomed election commitments by both major political parties to establish a Queensland Indigenous Council Leaders Accord in which the Torres Cape Indigenous Council Alliance (TCICA) will play a pivotal role.
Labor’s Steven Miles and Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli pledged to back the concept during last week’s Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) annual conference in Brisbane.
The proposed accord will aim to provide Queensland’s First Nations councils with direct access to State Government decision makers to generate better decisions on the needs, priorities and wellbeing of their communities.
Under the accord, the government would enter into a formal agreement with the 17 remote and discrete First Nations councils, represented by TCICA, and the LGAQ.
TCICA Chair and Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council Mayor Territa Dick praised the commitment by both party leaders and said it was an acknowledgement Indigenous councils were best placed to identify and deliver the services and projects required to provide local economic and social wellbeing.
“The accord will mean our communities have a seat at the table with decision makers,” she said.
“By directly involving our councils, the State Government will be able to better understand and prioritise the needs of our communities in crucial areas such as housing, employment, health and education.”
The state’s First Nations mayors and representatives of TCICA and LGAQ will also be invited to attend a cabinet meeting annually to discuss progress on shared work under the accord.
LGAQ chief executive officer Alison Smith said the accord would enhance existing government initiatives, such as the Government and Ministerial Champions Program.
The accord would require respective ministers and directors-general to meet with the First Nations mayors biannually to discuss issues prioritised by the councils, and what actions are needed to achieve successful outcomes.
“It’s a widely-held view that progress on Closing the Gap will only improve when First Nations communities are involved in identifying and prioritising the problems they face and then guiding the solutions,” Ms Smith said.
“The LGAQ’s fundamental belief is that local problems need local solutions from place-based decision making, with councils appropriately funded to deliver these and working in partnership with state and federal governments.”
