By the end of the year, South Australia is set to be the first state to have a First Nations' Voice to Parliament.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister and Attorney-General Kyam Maher said he planned to introduce legislation for the First Nations' Voice early next month, after it gained the support of the Greens.
"It'll be the first in Australia, so it'll be very historic that, for the first time, there will be a body like this that is elected, that will form a Voice to Parliament, a body that is chosen from Aboriginal people, by Aboriginal people," he said.
Under the legislation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people enrolled to vote will be able to elect a group of people from their geographical area: half of them men and half of them women.
Overall, 40 people would be elected and then 12 of those would form a statewide Voice that could speak on any bill before parliament.
"This will be really significant," Mr Maher said.
Voice members would also be able to attend two cabinet meetings a year, meet with state government department chief executives and ask ministers about spending, policies and what they are doing for Indigenous people.
Election promise but no referendum
The Labor Party promised a local implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart at the state election in March.
Support of the Greens gives the government 11 votes out of the 21 in the Legislative Council, excluding the president.
Greens MP Tammy Franks said the Voice would give parliamentarians the chance to hear First Nations people like they never have before.
"The ability to hear what First Nations people think on any issue that affects Aboriginal Australians in South Australians, as we make our decision as parliamentarians for the best for South Australia, so I think it's only a win-win," she said.
Formal consultation on the legislation — and particularly how the geographical regions would be divided — began in November and ended two weeks ago.
The results of the consultation have not been released.
A referendum is set to be held on a federal Indigenous Voice to Parliament by the end of the year.
Unlike at the Commonwealth level, South Australia's First Nations' Voice will not need to go to a public vote.
South Australia's constitution can be changed without a referendum.
"We’ll look to reference this in our Constitution Act and that can be done in South Australia without a referendum," Mr Maher said.
