Over the past year, the South Australian First Nations Voice to Parliament (SA Voice) has continued to grow in strength, purpose, and reach.
This reporting period has been one of significant progress, learning, and collaboration as we have deepened our engagement with First Nations communities across the 6 Local Voice Regions and strengthened our relationships with the South Australian Parliament and Government, and key partners and advocates for First Nations priorities.
Through regular meetings, community engagements, and input into policies and laws that impact First Nations peoples, the SA Voice has worked to ensure that First Nations perspectives are not only heard but actively shape decision-making.
Our focus
Our focus has been on establishing strong foundations, building governance structures, refining communication pathways, and embedding processes that ensure accountability and transparency.
These efforts have positioned the SA Voice to represent our communities with integrity and impact in the years ahead. A Strategic Plan has been developed to ensure the SA Voice maintains its momentum. It will be released soon.
The First Nations Voice Act 2023 (the Act) sets out clear objectives; to strengthen self-determination, enhance representation, and create meaningful opportunities for First Nations people to influence policies and decisions that affect their lives.
Our progress
This year, we have made measurable progress towards these goals.
The establishment of the Local Voices and the coordination between their bodies and the State Voice have ensured that grassroots community priorities inform state level advocacy.
We have provided formal advice to government on key matters such as housing, education, health, justice, cultural heritage, and youth, demonstrating how the Act’s intent is being realised in practice.
We also undertook steps to increase accessibility and awareness of the SA Voice’s role within communities, ensuring that our people understand how to connect, contribute, and hold us to account.
We launched an official Facebook page through which we communicate our activities. The page has attracted more than 20,000 views since its launch in July 2025 and will continue to grow as a key tool to report back on our work.
While there is more work to be done, and the road is long, the foundations of a truly representative and effective SA Voice model are now firmly in place.
Partnerships
Our progress has been made possible through strong partnerships. We acknowledge the support of the South Australian Parliament and Government, regional and remote communities, Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), key advocates and organisations for First Nations priorities, and the many community members who have provided invaluable guidance and feedback.
Collaboration with these partners has allowed us to align efforts and amplify impact across a range of policy areas. We also recognise the challenges that have emerged, from resource constraints to the complexities of establishing a new representative structure. Navigating these challenges has required patience, adaptability, and unity of purpose.
Among our key achievements this year are the establishment of consistent engagement mechanisms between State and Local Voices, the delivery of our first formal and detailed advice to Cabinet on what matters to our people, and the development of a clear forward agenda grounded in community priorities.
These milestones mark important steps towards the long-term vision of the Act and SA Voice model, a future where First Nations voices are integral to the governance of our State.
However, health inequities continue to shorten First Nations lives by a decade or more. Aboriginal women remain the fastest-growing prison population in South Australia, and youth suicide remains unacceptably high in some regions. These realities remind us that the Voice’s work is not symbolic. It is about closing the gap between policy and lived experience. It is about holding both government, Community and the Voice accountable for achieving better outcomes with integrity, transparency, and hope.
The independence of the Voice remains central to its credibility. Operating separately from government ensures that advice is genuine, based on community needs, and free from political influence. Yet, independence also brings responsibility to demonstrate accountability, deliver impact, and balance ambition with practicality.
True partnership requires time and trust. The progress achieved so far proves that such partnership works.
From commitments to housing design and bail accommodation, from engagement hearings to Cabinet meetings, these are not symbolic exercises, they represent structural shifts.
The Voice has moved from being consulted after decisions are made, to being involved from the outset.
While challenges persist in local capacity, the Voice continues to demonstrate what is possible when First Nations communities and government work together with respect, integrity, and shared purpose.
The progress achieved in 2025 is tangible evidence that genuine partnership delivers change that endures. We look forward to building on this and last year’s successes and continuing the journey towards a more inclusive and self-determined future for all First Nations people in South Australia.
Danni Smith, Joint Presiding Member State Voice
Leeroy Bilney, Joint Presiding Member State Voice
