A National Indigenous Representative Body 
12 July 2008
The Australian Government has indicated that it intends to establish a new National Indigenous Representative Body. This page provides a range of materials addressing the key issues to be faced in establishing such a body.
Building a sustainable National Indigenous Representative Body – Issues for consideration
On 12 July the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Tom Calma, released an issues paper outlining key considerations in the development of a new National Indigenous Representative Body.
- The full text of the issues paper is available, also in
PDF (1.2 MB) or 
Word (680K). - A summary of the issues paper is available, also in Word (142K)
- A community guide is also available
- Building a sustainable National Indigenous Representative Body Speech by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Tom Calma, AIATSIS Seminar Series, 4 August 2008
The issues paper addresses the following three questions:
- First, what lessons can be learned from mechanisms for representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at the national, State/ Territory or regional level that have previously existed or that are currently in place?
- Second, what lessons can be learned from mechanisms for representing Indigenous peoples that have been established in other countries?
- And third, what options are there for ensuring that a National Indigenous Representative Body is sustainable?
The research identifies the many and varied issues that need to be considered in the formulation of a new representative body. It does not propose a model for the body itself.
National consultations on the establishment of a new National Indigenous Representative Body
The Australian Government has announced that it will conduct national consultations with Indigenous communities on a new National Indigenous Representative Body. For information on this process please visit the Government’s consultation website at: http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/IndigenousRepBody
Please note: The consultation website is run by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. HREOC takes no responsibility for the contents of the site. Any inquiries about it should be directed to FACHSIA.
Other materials on National Indigenous Representative Structures
Since 2004, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner has considered issues relating to the need for a National Indigenous Representative Body as well as monitoring the post-ATSIC ‘new arrangements’ for the administration of Indigenous Affairs.
For an outline of events that led to the dismantling of ATSIC, and an overview of the challenges in implementing the ‘new arrangements’ for the administration of Indigenous affairs, see Chapter 3 of the Social Justice Report 2004.
For a review of the importance of Indigenous representation in government policy making and service delivery, see Chapter 3 of the Social Justice Report 2005.
For an evaluation of the capacity for Indigenous engagement and participation in policy making under the ‘new arrangements’, see Chapter 3 of the Social Justice Report 2006.
Further Information
The following materials by the Social Justice Commissioner are also relevant to discussions about a new National Indigenous Representative Body.
- Sustainable options for Australia’s new national Indigenous representative body (Speech by Tom Calma, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, HREOC Native Title Conference 2008, 4 June 2008, Perth).
- Essentials for Social Justice: Reform (Speech by Tom Calma, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and National Race Discrimination Commissioner, 20 February 2008 Brisbane).
