If my decades in local government have taught me one thing, it’s that genuine, informed community participation is always beneficial to good decision-making.
Whether it’s traffic management at a local level, environmental protection at a regional level or indeed international trade at a national level, ideas or plans that are “good in theory” can always be improved when decision makers have the benefit of local wisdom about how things really work on the ground.
The residents of Noosa Shire need look back no further than the forced amalgamation of our council in 2008. Despite the strongest campaign mounted against amalgamation by any community in Queensland, we were excluded from the decision-making process, our views and local knowledge disregarded. We were told what to do rather than being asked what we knew. That resulted in a damaging decision foisted upon us by those who insisted they knew better.
We all remember the pain and frustration of that powerlessness.
I was privileged to join with thousands from my community in their opposition to forced amalgamation in 2008. As history records, the community achieved a great outcome when, in 2013, more than 80 per cent of us voted Yes in the de-amalgamation referendum.
Finally, our message was heard. But not without considerable financial and social cost to the Noosa community over those six years of stress and anguish.
This weekend we vote in another referendum, this time to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution by establishing a Voice to Parliament to give advice on Indigenous policies and programs. This is a request which has come directly from First Nations people in the gracious and courageous Uluru Statement from the Heart.
Those who know me know that this is something dear to my heart. I’m privileged to have worked with Indigenous councils in Queensland. I have mentored many Indigenous mayors and have been fortunate to have learnt from the experiences of their communities.
When I consider what we are being asked to do at this referendum, I am struck by how relevant it is to us in Noosa Shire. Living through enforced amalgamation is nothing like what many Indigenous communities still experience. But in our own way, I believe we can relate somewhat to the pain and perils of voicelessness.
We know how badly governments can get it wrong when they don’t ask for the views of the people affected by their decisions. Our own experience tells us that!
I’ve spoken to a lot of local people about this. Those conversations fill me with hope that our community can empathise with the aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in their quest for Constitutional recognition as the First Nations people of our country and for a Voice to Parliament where they can be heard. Just as we were in 2013.
I believe people in this community can readily understand that the complex challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in areas like health, housing, education and justice can be more effectively tackled if we give those same people a say.
We can see that recognising and listening to First Nations people will enrich us all as individuals and as a nation, while offering the potential to lift up some of our most disadvantaged peoples.
When we get to the polling place on Saturday, let’s keep our own lived experience in mind.
Let’s answer the gracious call from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and vote YES for a better future. Let’s use our voice to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples the Voice they so desperately want and need.
NOTE: Noosa Today has not verified the contributed content in this or any of the articles appearing under the YES/NO banner which can be fact-checked at these websites:
www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-19/fact-check-yes-no-campaign-pamphlets-
