First steps

As a first step in the state-based implementation, the government appointed the inaugural Commissioner for First Nations Voice, Dale Agius, to lead a series of community engagements.

The Commissioner held community engagements between August and October 2022 to seek the views of First Nations people about a Voice to the South Australian Parliament.

The Commissioner's First Engagement Report was released in November 2022. This engagement round found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were seeking:

  • a direct Voice to South Australian Parliament
  • a Voice that is elected by First Nations people, to represent the grassroots communities
  • a Voice to represent the diversity of the South Australian First Nations communities – including nation group diversity, gender, youth, disability, elders and LGBTQIA+ people
  • direct access to government decision-makers, including Cabinet and chief executives.

Commissioner for First Nations Voice to the South Australian Parliament - Engagement Report

In November 2022, the Government also released a First Nations Voice model, and a draft First Nations Voice Bill - based on the Commissioner's findings from this first engagement round.

The draft First Nations Voice Bill 2022 outlined a model that would provide First Nations people, who are elected by First Nations people in their communities, the ability to speak directly to Parliament, as well as engage with all levels of government.

Second round of engagement

The Commissioner then commenced a second round of community engagement to seek feedback on the proposed model, including face-to-face statewide engagements with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and written submissions.

Following this, a number of changes were made to the draft Bill including:

  • alterations allowing for the Voice to address either the House of Assembly or the Legislative Council in relation to any specific Bill which is considered of interest to the state Voice
  • the establishment of specific committees representing young persons, Elders, Native Title holders and members of the Stolen Generation, to advise the State First Nations Voice
  • provisions designed to ensure that the Voice does not impact on Native Title agreements or other First Nations organisations
  • a clearer definition of the terms 'First Nations person' and 'Traditional Owner'.

Stage 2 Engagement Report

The Second Engagement Report was released in February 2023.

Passing the Bill

The First Nations Voice Act 2023 was passed on Sunday, 26 March 2023 at a special sitting of Parliament.

The rest of 2023 saw the Commissioner for First Nations Voice return to local communities across South Australia to provide further information about the Voice and encourage candidates to nominate.

Nominations and the election

Nominations for the First Nations Voice opened Monday 22 January 2024 and were open until Monday 12 February.

113 candidates nominated for Local Voices across the state.

The First Nations Voice election was held Saturday, 16 March 2024 where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across South Australia voted for representatives for their Local First Nations Voice.

The results were declared 2 April 2024.