Social sector organisations are banding together to support a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous voice to parliament, saying it would help Australia take a step towards a better future.
The Australian Council of Social Service, Oxfam, the Fred Hollows Foundation and First Nations advocacy organisation ANTAR are launching the "allies for Uluru coalition".
ACOSS chief executive Cassandra Goldie said constitutional change would give Indigenous people a greater say in the issues that affected them and would help shape "a brighter, better Australia".
"This inclusion in the constitution, along with enshrining a voice to parliament, is long overdue and critical for Indigenous Australians to have self-determination and a greater say over their lives," she said.
Fred Hollows Foundation CEO Ian Wishart said self-determination was an important part of the equation.
"Fred once said that Aboriginal people would not be healthy until they were running their own health services, and this is the essence of self-determination," he said.
"He knew over three decades ago that giving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people a genuine say on issues that affect them is not just the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do."
A coalition of Australia's biggest sporting codes, including the NRL and AFL, will also reportedly band together to support the "yes" campaign, although none would immediately confirm they would back the voice.
A Rugby Australia spokesperson said they were "broadly supportive" of the voice, adding that they would continue working with stakeholders on a more detailed position.
The AFL said it was also in a consultation process.
"Once that process is completed, the AFL's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Council will make a recommendation to the AFL Commission," an AFL spokesman said.
The attorney-general has suggested there are no plans to alter the proposed constitutional change, which would allow the body to advise directly to ministers.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has laid out proposed changes to the constitution to enshrine the voice, including the ability for the body to provide advice to both parliament and the executive government.
There have been suggestions the wording could be watered down and the executive advice provision removed in a bid to secure support from the opposition and allay concerns about possible legal challenges.
But Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus confirmed it is still the government's plan to include both.
He said there needed to be more discussion with constitutional lawyers about any potential legal ramifications that could arise by keeping the term.
"People have been litigating questions about our constitution since Federation. Possible constitutional litigation I don't think should deter anyone," he said.
The bill outlining the wording will be put before parliament in late March, and the process will be finalised about June, once parliamentary committees have been given time to report back.
The government has flagged the referendum will be held between October and December.
