Queensland's Path to Treaty
About the Path to Treaty
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:
- Inclusion: Treaty is a conversation for all Queenslanders, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous.
- Reconciliation: Truth-telling and healing are at the heart of our journey towards treaty.
- Treaty ready: That all Queenslanders feel ready and supported to participate equally in treaty negotiations – ‘treaty ready’.
Recommendations for reform
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.
More information
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In this guide: