Gladstone Council endorses Uluru Statement

“I’m happy to support the motion today from Gladstone Regional Council, not as nine white Australians sitting on the table speaking on behalf of our First Nations Australians, but in aim to walk with them and support and advocate for them in any way that we can.”

The Gladstone Regional Council has voted to support the constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians, following a unanimous decision for all councils to support the Uluru Statement from the Heart from the Australian Local Government Association.

The Uluru Statement is about providing a voice to parliament from a representative body, giving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders a say in law and policy affecting them, and would be made a part of the Australian Constitution.

Councillor Natalia Muszkat told the ordinary council meeting on July 20 Gladstone was one of the first councils to establish a reconciliation action plan in 2018.

“I’m just really proud to be another voice to advocate to support the Uluru Statement from the Heart,” she said.

“We are also coming up to an election where we can show a stronger position around the Uluru Statement from the Heart.”

Councillor Darryl Braithwaite asked whether the motion came from the Reconciliation Action Plan or Cr Muszkat.

Cr Muszkat told the meeting the Reconciliation Action Plan Advisory Group was consulted and she was given their support.

Councillor Desley O’Grady asked if local Indigenous people or organisations had been consulted?

Cr Muszkat replied she had spoken to a couple of leaders, but not ‘formally’ with the Port Curtis Coral Coast Trust.

Reciting some words of the statement, deputy mayor Khan Goodluck said the community can read the statement on the website.

“I’m happy to support the motion today from Gladstone Regional Council, not as nine white Australians sitting on the table speaking on behalf of our First Nations Australians, but in aim to walk with them and support and advocate for them in any way that we can,” Cr Goodluck said.

Cr Muszkat moved and councillor Chris Trevor seconded the motion to support the Uluru Statement, endorse the statement and publicly endorse it by publicly displaying it in prominent locations in the Gladstone Region, registering the council’s support on the website, and writing to the Prime Minister, Opposition Leader and other local candidates to express the council’s support for a First Nations Voice to Parliament and a treaty commission.

All councillors voted to support the motion, except for mayor Matt Burnett who had to leave due to a conflict of interest arising from his candidacy for the federal seat of Flynn.