One year on from the failed referendum

KLC CEO Tyronne Garstone at the 2023 Home Valley AGM

Statement by KLC CEO Tyronne Garstone  

One year on from the failed referendum, Kimberley leaders remain resolute in their commitment to a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are heard and genuinely influence decision-making.

Kimberley Aboriginal people show remarkable resilience, moving forward despite the challenges, disappointment and setbacks. In Bardi language we say: Iwooloongan Iyoordin biinmal ningamoord ambooriny, Tide come in, tide go out. We are strong people.

We know that 77.5% of remote Kimberley communities voted yes to a Voice to Parliament. We also know that our members remain committed to the need for a Kimberley Aboriginal Regional Body, one that works directly with government on the matters that affect our lives, our rights and our futures.

The KLC continues to support the key reform concepts of the Uluru Statement, and firmly believes that a process to oversee both treaty and truth-telling is critical to achieving justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

To date, there has not been a nationally coordinated process of truth-telling about Australia’s history of colonisation. In the words of former KLC CEO Nolan Hunter and academic Damien Freeman, ”this has been one of the biggest historical barriers to genuine reconciliation in Australia".

Linking agreement-making with truth-telling provides the potential for substantive justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. While truth-telling can shine light on the wrongs of the past and their contemporary effects, agreements – or treaties – provide a practical way to address, redress and compensate for those wrongs.

Agreements can recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s identities and political status, provide redress for past wrongs, and enshrine commitments from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and governments. They can be vehicles for economic and social empowerment and self-determination.

To pave a way forward, we urge our Kimberley community and the rest of Australia to stand strong through these challenging times - the ebbs and flows of the tide - and rise with us.

Together, we can close the gap to create a more just and equitable future for everyone in our region and our nation.