{"id":239640,"date":"2019-07-15T10:32:21","date_gmt":"2019-07-15T00:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=239640"},"modified":"2019-07-16T21:43:54","modified_gmt":"2019-07-16T11:43:54","slug":"qld-starts-path-to-treaty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2019\/07\/15\/qld-starts-path-to-treaty\/","title":{"rendered":"Qld Starts Path To Treaty"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

July 15, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

The State Government has begun a process which it says will eventually lead to negotiated treaties with Indigenous Queenslanders.<\/p>\n

To mark the end of NAIDOC Week, the State Government signed an historic Statement of Commitment as part of a “Tracks to Treaty” initiative which aims to reframe the relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders.<\/p>\n

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said developing the Path to Treaty element of the initiative was a significant step forward in the Reconciliation journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday the Queensland Government commits to taking the next steps in this journey to engage with the community on developing a process for State-wide agreement making with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders,\u201d Ms Palaszczuk said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTracks to Treaty marks a monumental reform journey at the local, regional and statewide level in Queensland. It promotes and supports self-determination, truth-telling, local decision making, and better life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that a path to treaty will benefit all Queenslanders and help promote reconciliation, foster a shared pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and help heal the wounds of the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deputy Premier and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Jackie Trad said Queensland was ready to have a conversation about Treaty.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a State we have led the nation with reform that acknowledges past injustices and recognises and celebrates the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,\u201d Ms Trad said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether it\u2019s the historic 1993 Mabo case, which brought about Native Title laws in Australia, the Queensland Parliament apology to the Stolen Generations in 1999, or the 2010 amendment to the preamble of the Queensland Constitution to honour Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians, Queensland has always been front and centre of the conversation about recognising and advancing the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope that this process goes some way to right the wrongs of the past and sets the foundation for a new and just relationship towards our shared future.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the coming weeks we will release a discussion paper to provide an opportunity for Queenslanders to have their say on this important journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mick Gooda, former Chair of the Reparations Taskforce, said Path to Treaty built on the earlier work of the Reparations Taskforce, and acknowledged the willingness to move forward together with mutual respect, recognition and openness to speak the truth about our shared history.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Path to Treaty is about community engagement and ownership at its core, and having that drive our future relationship,\u201d said Mr Gooda.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about talking to the community and understanding what\u2019s important to them, because a treaty might mean different things for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders and the broader Queensland community.\u201d<\/p>\n

A panel,\u00a0co-chaired by Indigenous historian Dr Jackie Huggins and former Attorney-General Michael Lavarch, will provide leadership to deliver on the commitment.<\/p>\n

A Treaty Working Group will lead State-wide consultation and engagement beginning in the second half of 2019, as part of developing the Path to Treaty process.<\/strong><\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Local Thriving Communities<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Ms Trad said the Tracks to Treaty initiative also included implementation of the Local Thriving Communities reform, which sought to improve government service delivery, governance, and economic opportunities starting in 19 remote and discrete communities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that the current service delivery system is not working as well as it should. Bureaucratic processes can be cumbersome and delivery mechanisms sometimes hinder rather than facilitate and enable outcomes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Queensland Government is committed to making this right, to working with local communities to promote self-determination and local community development.<\/p>\n

\u201cLocal Thriving Communities embeds structural and cultural change that will fundamentally change the way that the Queensland Government does business with communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis means working in genuine partnership with individual Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to identify and implement workable solutions tailored to the priorities, goals and leadership structures in each community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Local Thriving Communities program will not be a one-size-fits-all model.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are under no illusions about what is required to succeed, and we expect that we will have to work through challenges along the way. If this was easy \u2013 it would have been done already.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am committed to working closely with mayors, community leaders, stakeholders and the communities to deliver on the Local Thriving Communities agenda.<\/p>\n