May 8, 2026
Queensland’s 17 First Nations councils last week hosted an historic first meeting under the Queensland Indigenous Council Leaders Accord, held in partnership with the State Government.
The meeting took place during the Local Government Association of Queensland’s (LGAQ) Indigenous Leaders Forum in Cairns.
The Accord gives the State Government an opportunity to hear directly from First Nations council leaders on how to deliver practical outcomes in liveability, economic development and self-determination.
Mayors, Local Government Minister Ann Leahy, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Partnerships Minister Fiona Simpson, Directors-General and LGAQ representatives attended the meeting.
The Accord was formally signed at the 2025 LGAQ Annual Conference as a key pillar of the Equal Partners in Government Agreement (EPIGA) between the Queensland Government and Queensland’s 77 councils and is the second sub-agreement under EPIGA, alongside the Rural and Remote Councils Compact.
“The Accord consolidates the partnership between Queensland’s 17 discrete First Nations local governments and the Queensland Government as a practical way of working together,” LGAQ president Mayor Matt Burnett said.
“It sets a clear foundation for how councils and government can turn shared priorities into real, on-the-ground outcomes.”
