North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) was a strong and public supporter of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament and advocated for a yes vote in the recent referendum.
We acknowledge and respect the result of that national event. We also acknowledge the grief experienced by many members of First Nations communities in our catchment.
Another process should now begin, in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must again forge a pathway to healing, treading on Country never ceded, whether that be through legislation or treaty.
NWMPHN works closely with the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service, and other Aboriginal-owned and led organisations. We are proud to support and collaborate in the urgent mission to improve health equity and access for First Nations people.
We pledge to continue doing that. We pledge to continue listening. And we pledge to be guided by Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing.
To the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our community – and especially to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers among them – we say this:
It isn’t over. We will not walk away.
Please read this statement (.pdf) containing the collective insights and views of a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, community members and organisations who supported Yes.
