b'COMMUNITY| LEGAL SECTOR| 2022SUSTAINABILITY INSIGHTRECONCILIATION IN AUSTRALIAAustralian SituationBased on the Australian Bureau of Statistics projections, the number of Indigenous Australians in 2021 was estimated to be 881,600. The Indigenous Australian population is projected to reach about 1.1 million people by 2031.The treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples since European settlement has failed to respect the sovereignty of First Peoples and perpetuated structures that have created significant barriers for the more than 881 thousand First Australians in Australia today.Reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the wider community is a journey of improving mutual trust, respect and opportunities. Reconciliation encourages cooperation and unity between First Australians and non-Indigenous Australians.To collaboratively work towards reconciliation, it is important to understand historical acceptance through truth telling. It is a critical step to improving our understanding of how history has shaped Australians relationships to, connection to, and respect for each others cultures. In 2008 Australia took an important symbolic step of acknowledging this Australian history with the nations apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.A formal process examining how to achieve recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution has been underway since 2011. In 2017 the Governments Referendum Council hosted a National Constitutional Convention at Uluru, including over 250 First Nations delegates from across Australia. They issued the Uluru Statement from the Heart with three core themes: voice, treaty and truth, and which recommendation for an Indigenous voice to parliament, constitutional reform and the Makarrata Commission.The Indigenous Voice to Parliament (The Voice) is the proposed new body of separately elected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with the right and responsibility to advise the Australian Parliament and Government on matters of significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.The Voice arose from the May 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart, delivered by the First Nations National Constitutional Convention, which met at Uluru. The government initially refused this request but, in 2019, proposed a change to a Voice to Government via legislation without changing the Constitution. The new federal government elected in 2022 confirmed plans for a referendum and proposed that the body would be named the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. At the Garma Festival in July, Prime Minister Albanese introduced the draft referendum question as: Do you support an alteration to the constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice? The ABCs Vote Compass survey included questions about a voice to parliament in its 2019 and 2022 editions. In 2019, 64 per cent of voters agreed with the establishment of a voice, while 22 per cent disagreed. The 2022 edition of Vote Compass found that support had grown to 73 per cent while opposition declined to 16 per cent.INITIATIVESINDIGENOUS RECONCILIATIONIndigenous Business MonthINDIGENOUS RECONCILIATIONPOLICY PUBLISHED Indigenous Literacy Day Supply Nation Membership CareerTrackers participationYES NO IN DEVT. NOT RPTD YES NO IN DEVT.Volunteering and secondments Affirmative ATSI procurement7%Scholarships and student mentoring Collaboration for reconciliation Internships and employment8%Funding and donations66% 85%Reconciliation Action Plan22%Cultural awareness training7%National Reconciliation Week Pro bono support NAIDOC Week5%58'