As voters head to the polls tomorrow, one of the Wimmera's peak First Nations organisations has thrown its support behind the Voice to Parliament referendum.
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The Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Co-operative board of directors issued a statement this week standing behind the 'yes' vote for the inclusion of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution.
The board said it believed the constitutional change would bring significant benefits by establishing an Indigenous advisory group within the Federal Parliament and, importantly, constitutional recognition.
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"The Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Co-operative Board of Directors believes that the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, which will include constitutional recognition, has the potential to address historical injustices and bring about structural changes for a better future," the statement read.
"The Voice aims to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians by ensuring their voices are heard on matters that affect them.
"It represents a crucial step in moving past a history of failed policies and programs in Indigenous affairs. The referendum question is a simple but powerful gesture of unity."
The board of directors said the referendum offers the nation a unique opportunity.
"[The referendum] offer all Australians the chance to right historical wrongs and to walk together toward a better future for all," the statement said.
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"We respect there will be differing views; however, we believe this is a question of equity and encourage all in our community to take the time to do your own reading and research to become fully informed about this unique and important opportunity."
The board iterated while the co-operative supports the referendum, it does not speak on behalf of the entire Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, in this instance.
"The Co-operative firmly supports constitutional recognition and underscores the importance of the Voice proposal in allowing Aboriginal people to offer advice on Aboriginal issues," they said.
The news comes with almost a third of votes cast already in postal and pre-poll voting for the referendum, the "yes" campaign is ramping up its advertising and media efforts.
Recent polls indicate that in the closing weeks of the campaign, support for the "no" campaign has slowed, but "yes" still sits at around 42 per cent nationally.
