More than 200 Limestone Coast community members attended forums last week to learn about the Voice to Parliament and be prepared to make an informed vote at the upcoming referendum on October 14.

The Mount Gambier Voice, Treaty, Truth Forum held at the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre was delivered in partnership with Burrandies Aboriginal Corporation, ac.care and the South Australian Council of Social Service.

The forums featured special guest and facilitator Ngarrindjeri, Kaurna and Wirangu woman Melissa Clarke, who was a delegate at the Constitutional Convention at Uluru and a signatory to the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

The forum included an overview and reading of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the referendum process, followed by a panel discussion and question and answer session.

The six person panel comprised Burrandies Aboriginal Cooperation acting chief executive Tara Bonney, ac.care Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan champion Jason Wallace, Aboriginal Elder Aunty Yawuri Penny Bonney, Pangula Mannamurna Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Phoenix James, Aboriginal Support Services regional manager Cheryl Saunders and South Australian Council of Social Service chief executive Ross Womersley.

Ms Clarke said she was voting yes to the Voice to Parliament because the Australian Constitution does not recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their more then 65,000 years of culture.

“It is about time for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be recognised and for decisionmakers to listen to us,” she said.

“The constitution today has resulted in some really bad laws and policies that have been made that have impacted on us.

“I think the forum was great, I think it’s a great turnout given that Mount Gambier had the sunniest day in how long and people do not want to be sitting indoors, but I’m really pleased with the turnout, I’m really pleased with the mixed demographics.

“There was a lot of mob there, a lot of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, which I’m stoked about because our people do not have enough information and have a particular distrust of government.

“Hopefully the right decision will be made and I just encourage people to (think) when they wake up the next day what side of history do they want to be on?

“It’s so important that when people walk away from this they have those informed discussions with their friends and family.”

Ms Clarke said she believes Australia would have been ready to welcome the Voice to Parliament in 2017 when the Uluru Statement from the Heart was created.

“I think that Malcolm Turnbull got it wrong when he said Australia was not ready for changes in the constitution to reflect this,” she said.

Aunty Penny has been a part of the South East community for over 40 years and is a proud advocate of the Voice to Parliament.

“I am very passionate as an Aboriginal woman about where I want our people to be tomorrow and the day after tomorrow,” she said.

“This will bring peace to everybody, to the non-Aboriginal people of this country as well as the Aboriginal people.

“The right thing to do is to give us, the First Peoples of this country, recognition because it has been a long time coming.

“From my perspective as an Aboriginal woman, a proud one, I have been waiting for this for a long, long time.

“For once in my life I am going to witness something that’s going to make a big change.

“As a proud Aboriginal woman, I ask you to vote yes.”