‘Blue Dot’ Map a Reminder of the Kimberley’s Call for Change
A ‘blue dot’ map showing the remote Aboriginal communities that voted Yes in the Voice referendum has highlighted the strength of support across North Australia including the Kimberley, where 77.5 per cent of remote Aboriginal communities voted Yes.
The map has prompted KLC CEO Tyronne Garstone what the result says about the need for greater regional governance and Aboriginal decision-making.
Speaking to Paige Taylor at The Australian, Tyronne said the map was a reminder of “what we were fighting for and who we were fighting for", and where change is needed most.
"In the Kimberley, where Aboriginal people are such a significant part of our communities, regional governance matters. People in metropolitan areas don’t always see what’s required on the ground, day in and day out, to make real change happen. This map makes that reality harder to ignore.
We know what the gaps look like. We see what happens when decisions are made too far away from the people they affect.
The referendum result didn’t change the need for change. If anything, it makes it more important that we keep pushing forward. The status quo isn’t working for our communities.
The Blue Dot map shows us where change is needed most, and where regional governance can make a real difference.
For people living in remote Australia, it’s about having the tools, the voice and the authority to make things better.
We need the Commonwealth to work with Aboriginal communities to address the inconsistencies in state and territory heritage laws. The current system is too inconsistent. We need an impartial umpire and laws and policies that genuinely empower communities to have a say in the decisions that affect them.
The Uluru Statement from the Heart was about creating the scaffolding for constitutional change and stronger regional governance.
We can’t just accept the status quo. We need to keep working towards systems that give Aboriginal communities greater agency, greater authority and a genuine role in shaping their own futures.
That’s what we voted for in the referendum; the foundations for real change. And we’re still pushing for it."