Our Acknowledgement of Country
Hume Community Housing acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of this land including Dharawal, Cabrogal, Wonnarua, Worimi and Awabakal peoples and the Dharug Nation whose lands Hume operates within. We pay our deep respect to the Elders past and present and emerging and acknowledge their continuing connection and contribution to the lands and waters.
You can read more about Hume's dedication to reconciliation in our Innovate Action Plan.
Support for the Voice to Parliament
“Hume Housing extends our support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart by endorsing the Voice to Parliament through a vote of “Yes” in the upcoming referendum.
Hume recognises the historical, social, structural, and cultural inequities in Australian society impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and ultimately us all.
The Voice to Parliament provides more than symbolic recognition in our Constitution. Support for the Voice reflects Hume’s deep respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and our commitment to ensuring all people in Australia have opportunities to prosper.
Housing has been identified as a key policy area where the Voice can have a positive impact. We believe that listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will deliver better results in housing.”
The Uluru Statement from the Heart is a gift and roadmap for peace. We support a First Nations Voice to Parliament, enshrined in the constitution. We accept the invitation to walk with First Nations to a better future for us all.
What is the Statement from the Heart?
Australia is a proud and diverse nation with a rich cultural heritage that dates back 65,000 years. The First Australians, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, have deep connections to this land and have played a vital role in shaping the society we know today. But despite this, our constitution, still does not recognise the unique and important contributions of the First Australians.
The Uluru Statement from the Heart is a call by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for real and practical change in Australia through the establishment of a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament.
What is a Voice to Parliament?
Australia’s 122-year-old constitution does not recognise our first Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. A referendum is planned so that they may be recognised in our constitution in a simple and meaningful way: through a Voice to Parliament this mechanism will ensure they are heard on the issues that affect their communities.
This vote will give all Australians the chance to come together and consider a change to our constitution that will honour and celebrate the rights, history, and ongoing relationship of Indigenous Australians with this land.
Australia has been considering constitutional recognition for more than 15 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have asked that the form of recognition come through a Voice to Parliament, which will give advice on laws and policies that affect Indigenous people.
This is what the Australian people are now being asked to decide: Should we recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in The Constitution, with a Voice?
A Voice will provide advice to the Federal Parliament about laws and policies, through a consultative policy making process that delivers meaningful structural change.
The rationale for the voice is that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people know and understand the best way to deliver real and practical change in their communities. It is believed that through a Voice, the gap that still exists between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians on practical issues like life expectancy, educational outcomes, and employment, will start to close.