Australians could vote as early as August on whether an Indigenous voice to parliament should be constitutionally enshrined.
The Indigenous Australians minister, Linda Burney, told Nine newspapers the government plans to introduce legislation to parliament in March to set up the referendum.
Burney said the yes campaign would likely begin in late February.
“Once that all mobilises, I think we’re going to have a country that’s ready for change,” she said.
The move comes while the Liberal party, led by Peter Dutton, is yet to determine its position, with many arguing internally for a free vote.
Burney said the legislation would be scrutinised by a parliamentary committee once it was introduced.
The Albanese government will seek to have the legislation pass through parliament in May, which could allow a vote to be held as early as August or as late as November.
Last year, the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said the draft question for voters would be: “Do you support an alteration to the constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice?”
Albanese has reiterated he believes the question regarding whether a voice should be enshrined in the constitution should be a “simple” yes or no referendum.
The Nationals have announced they will not support the referendum despite a split within the party, with Calare MP Andrew Gee breaking away as an independent to support the campaign.
Gee said he felt he didn’t have “unfettered freedom” to put his view on the voice, and did not foresee the federal Nationals’ policy changing on the issue.
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, said “the federal Nationals remain united in our decision to oppose the voice to parliament”.
The Liberals under Dutton have not yet formed a position on the referendum, with the opposition leader repeatedly calling on the government to release more detail about the form the voice will take.
On Sunday, a spokesman for shadow attorney general, Julian Leeser, said that the opposition had asked for “serious detail” on the constitutional change, which was important as the majority of referendums in Australia had failed.
“Australians are naturally cautious about changes to our governing document,” he said. “Australians will want the detail about how the voice will work – that’s only fair given the government is asking for Australians to decide.”
Last week Burney described suggestions that Labor had not released enough detail about the Indigenous voice to parliament as “rubbish”. In a speech at the Woodford folk festival on Wednesday, she countered concern that a loss would set back reconciliation by saying “if we do not try, then we have already lost”.
Also at the festival, Cape York Indigenous leader Noel Pearson emphasised the “special responsibility” of this generation’s Australians “not to kick the can down the road once again”.
Many Liberals, including those opposed to the voice, insist their colleagues will be free to vote and campaign according to their conscience.
Liberal MP Warren Entsch previously told Guardian Australia: “I think in these sort of contentious issues it’s always useful to have a free vote.”
Entsch said that he had “no idea what the voice is, other than a word”, claiming there was “no detail on it whatsoever”.
A government-selected group of constitutional experts has advised the voice would not have a veto power and would not confer “special rights” to any person, in a bid to address “plainly incorrect assertions” .
“Nor would the voice change or take away any right, power or privilege of anyone who is not Indigenous,” the legal experts said.
There are concerns the referendum could stir up racist vitriol, triggering trauma for vulnerable Indigenous people similar to the homophobic ugliness during the same-sex marriage plebiscite.
• Australian Associated Press contributed to this report
