Tanya Plibersek opinion: Indigenous rangers provide road map for Voice success

When we listen to First Nations people, value their expertise and empower their communities we deliver better outcomes, writes Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.

Tanya Plibersek campaigns for the ‘yes’ case in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Sam Ruttyn

Last month, I had the honour of meeting with a group of Indigenous rangers and Elders who manage our environment in the Katiti-Petermann Indigenous Protected Area.

Spending a day there, watching the Tjakura, Mala and Kaltukatjara rangers work in the central desert, it was clear that no one knows the land like they do and no one is better placed to care for it than they are.

As study after study has shown, Indigenous rangers produce better outcomes across the board.

That means stronger protection for native plants and animals, more employment for local people, greater economic opportunities for remote towns and a more resilient connection to culture and history.

We should be proud of this homegrown success story — and we should learn from it.

What this program teaches us is that, when we listen to First Nations people, when we value their expertise and when we empower their communities on the ground, we deliver better outcomes.

When decisions are made by people with first-hand knowledge who see changes happening in real time and who understand their impacts, we all benefit.

That is why I’m supporting the Voice referendum this October.

The Voice is about listening to Indigenous Australians, it’s about learning from their experiences, it’s about seeking their advice on matters that affect them — and it’s about using that information to make better decisions as a country.

The Voice is an advisory body, selected by Indigenous Australians, to help the commonwealth close the gap in life outcomes.

It’s not a veto over government decisions.

The Voice is an idea that has come from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people — to reduce the distance between decision makers in Canberra and communities across Australia.

I know this approach can work, because I’ve seen it work with the Indigenous rangers program.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Wednesday the referendum would be held on October 14. Picture: James Elsby/Getty Images

And I’ve also seen it work in my own community of Redfern in Sydney.

For over fifty years, Redfern has been a pioneer in Aboriginal led services.

These organisations are run by Indigenous people, for Indigenous people, with special knowledge about Indigenous experiences — and they work.

They improve healthcare access, train people for jobs, reduce crime, keep people out of jail, and give local kids more opportunities and hope.

That’s what the Voice will do.

By advising on fundamental issues, it will lead to better policies on health care, aged care, justice, housing and education.

When I was in the Northern Territory last month, I walked around the base of Uluru with an Indigenous ranger, who told me his people’s story of the Mala, a gorgeous little rock wallaby that lives in Central Australia.

It was a beautiful story, telling the history of the area — and it came with a moral: That if we start something, we have to finish it.

We have so much to be proud of in this country, we’ve already made great progress on national reconciliation, we all want what’s best for our fellow Australians.

This October, we can take another step forward together. We can vote yes.

Tanya Plibersek is the federal Member for Sydney and Minister for the Environment and Water.