We’re taking steps to prepare Queenslanders for treaty-making between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the Queensland Government and non-Indigenous people.
Path to Treaty is a shared path – for Queenslanders to come together in a joint commitment. This path will move us forward, equally, on this land we share.
By walking this path together, we are honouring generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have called for self-determination, truth-telling and agreement-making.
Queensland’s Path to Treaty journey began with the release of the Statement of Commitment in 2019, to reframe the relationship between the Queensland Government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This was followed by an Eminent Panel that started the treaty conversation with the support of a Treaty Working Group. This included public consultations on what a treaty or treaties might mean to all Queenslanders.
There was great support for a treaty from communities across the state with three major themes:
The Treaty Advancement Committee (Committee) came together to build on the work of the Eminent Panel and the Treaty Working Group and to provide recommendations to the Queensland Government on the next steps along the Path to Treaty.
The Committee met with peak bodies, local and state governments, and experts in different fields. They looked at treaty making practices—both nationally and internationally—to inform the recommendations in their report.
The Committee presented their report to the Queensland Government on 12 October 2021. The recommendations provided the foundation on which to build solid processes to see the treaty reform take shape.
The release of the Queensland Government Response to the recommendations of the Committee reaffirmed a commitment to the Path to Treaty reform, and more importantly strengthens how we get to treaty making in the future.
For detailed information on actions that will take place over the next 2-3 years, take a look at the Queensland Government Response to the recommendations of the Treaty Advancement Committee report.
On 16 August 2022 the Queensland Government, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Queenslanders signed Queensland’s Path to Treaty Commitment. The Commitment is a collective pledge to be courageous and curious, open to hearing the truth of our state’s history, and to work together to be ready to, and to make negotiating treaties possible.
Following the signing of the Commitment, the Queensland Government has worked with the Interim Truth and Treaty Body, made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and non-Indigenous representatives, to continue to progress Path to Treaty.
On 10 May 2023 the Queensland Government passed the Path to Treaty Act 2023, a landmark Act for this state. The legislation was co-designed with the Interim Truth and Treaty Body.
The Act provides for a:
The Path to Treaty Act 2023 establishes the legislative framework to set up the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry and the First Nations Treaty Institute.
The Inquiry will be held for three years, unless extended.
The Institute will provide ongoing support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through the treaty negotiation process.
Early planning, in partnership with the Interim Truth and Treaty Body, is underway to create the dedicated offices and resources to deliver the Inquiry and the Institute.
The next steps on Path to Treaty will:
The Path to Treaty Office, in the Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts (formerly Department of Seniors, Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships), has been established by the Queensland Government to:
The Interim Truth and Treaty Body (the Board) is a short-term interim body to continue the momentum while the First Nations Treaty Institute and Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry are established.
The Board will:
Under the Path to Treaty Act 2023, the First Nations Treaty Institute will be established as a statutory body, operating independently from the Queensland Government.
The Institute functions will include:
Under the Path to Treaty Act 2023, the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry will:
Queensland is a step further on its path to treaty, with the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry calling for five members, including a chairperson and the Treaty Institute of two co-chairs and eight members. Inquiry members and the chairperson will hold full time positions for the term of the Inquiry, and Treaty Institute Council members will hold part time positions for two years.
Appointments will be made by the Governor-in-Council once the recruitment processes are complete.
Queensland's Path to Treaty, 30 Nov 2023, [https://www.qld.gov.au/firstnations/treaty/queensland-path-to-treaty]
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