Have Your Say
Please visit the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) for information about the 14 October 2023 Referendum.
The City of Greater Geelong, through its Reconciliation Action Plan, is committed to walking together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and all other members of our community, to strengthen respect, relationships and opportunities.
We are doing this in a number of ways, and part of our role is to start and engage in respectful conversations with our entire community about issues that matter to First Nations people.We are
providing opportunities for our local community to come together for
conversations about the Voice to Parliament at a series of free forums and
community kiosks during July, August and September.
The
Community Conversation Forums at the City’s Wurriki Nyal administration
headquarters and Community Kiosks at the region’s libraries are open to all
community members to attend.
They will offer an informal chance for local residents to listen and learn from
each other. The conversations will be facilitated by the City’s Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Senior Policy Officer Julie Saylor Briggs and other City
staff.
Council
has not taken a formal position on the Voice referendum, but recently
reaffirmed its commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which calls
for a First Nations voice to be enshrined in the Australian Constitution. The
Council first wrote to the Prime Minister in support of the Statement from the
Heart during 2021.
These conversations are part of our role in helping to inform the community ahead of the referendum, understanding that everyone is entitled to make up their own minds on the Voice and vote as they see fit.
Our aim is to facilitate conversations focused on education and respectful
dialogue, where everyone is encouraged to ask questions, put forward their
viewpoint, and listen to the viewpoints of others.
Our staff will also be holding informal pop-up kiosks on streets across Geelong in the coming weeks, where community members are encouraged to stop for a chat.
Keep an eye out for further education and information events featuring keynote
speakers, which will be listed on this page and promoted across our channels in
the near future.
The City is a member of the Wathaurong Voice Committee led by the Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative and also including the offices of local state and federal Members of Parliament.
Our Community Conversation Forums are an informal chance to come together, listen and learn from each other ahead of the Voice referendum.
The two-hour conversations will be facilitated by the City’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Senior Policy Officer Julie Saylor Briggs.
Come and have a conversation about the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The team will be at libraries across Greater Geelong between July and September.
Following extensive consultation with First Nations People and the broader community, Greater Geelong Council endorsed changes to the way it will mark 26 January in 2024 and beyond.
There will be a key focus on providing support for a formalised First Nations Peoples acknowledgement and support of community-led cultural events on the day.
Further conversations and consultation will take place over the coming months. Click on +Follow at the top of the page to be kept up to date.
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Have questions or want to learn more about a project, contact us below:
| Phone | 03 5272 5272 |
|---|---|
| Website | www.geelongaustralia.com.au/contact/ |
The National Relay Service is available as a phone solution for people who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment.
We Acknowledge the Wadawurrung People as the Traditional Owners of the Land, Waterways and Skies. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging. We Acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are part of our Greater Geelong community today.
