The Voice referendum represented a one-off chance to achieve Constitutional recognition and secure a better future for Aboriginal people, the chief executive of the Awabakal Aboriginal Land Council believes.
The land council, which represents Aboriginal people in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, is actively promoting the Yes campaign in the lead up to the October 14 referendum.
"We are not going to get another chance at a referendum. This is our chance," Awabakal chief executive Kumarah Kelly said.
"While it's not exactly what we asked for, I see it as a stepping stone. Without this Voice to Parliament and without us taking this chance I don't see us progressing from what we have been asking for for the past 100 years."
Ms Kelly said she was confident the Voice would make a tangible difference to the lives of Indigenous Australians.
"I think some people are saying, well, let's merge and be happy together. But at the end of the day we (Aboriginal people) are still disadvantaged, particularly in regional and remote areas.
"I think by having this enshrined in the Constitution, the culture around Aboriginal people making decisions about Aboriginal people will change over the next few decades. I think the most important outcome is how we culturally shift our views."
While Awabakal is supporting the Yes campaign, Ms Kelly acknowledged not all Aboriginal people supported the Yes campaign.
"There are some people who are cautious about it (the Voice) and there are some people who are campaigning for the No vote," she said.
"Unfortunately I think there is still a lot of misunderstanding about what the Voice is."
Former Karuah Aboriginal Land Council chief executive Len Roberts said he was sceptical about the referendum and was leaning towards voting No.
"People have got to weigh it up and make their decision based on the evidence as they see it. Unfortunately this is not just about giving Aboriginal people recognition in the Constitution. It's about playing politics," he said.
"I still don't understand what the Voice is and I think there are a lot of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people who don't either.
"How many people realise that Aboriginal people are already in the NSW Constitution? It went through in 2010 without a blip on the radar. I think if introducing the Voice was as simple as it was getting recognition in the NSW Constitution it (the Yes campaign) would go through without any problem."
Hunter Workers, which represents the region's unions, has made the Yes campaign a major priority this year.
Union members stood on Hunter road sides on Wednesday to celebrate the announcement of the referendum date.
"This is an historic time for our nation and our region supporting our communities to have a say to recognise the oldest continuous culture in the world in our Constitution," Hunter Workers secretary Leigh Shears said.
"It has been encouraging to see the people of our region curious about the Voice. Today's activities are another opportunity to see the simplicity of the ask from Indigenous Australians and the enthusiasm of our region to vote YES".
