On Friday 2 June I was honoured to be in attendance as the Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council and Liverpool City Council signed a deed of agreement at Phillips Park in Lurnea. A genuinely historic document for the region, the deed aims to streamline collaboration and communication between both parties based on mutually agreed principles. Among the principles underpinning the deed are the principle of peace treaty, which acknowledges and respects Aboriginal custodianship of land and sovereignty within the meaning of the Uluru Statement from the Heart over land that has never been ceded; and the principle that we must see each other as co‑creators and co‑managers who willingly collaborate for the good of all our people and communities in a spirit of justice and truth. As Gandangara CEO Melissa Williams said on the day of the signing:

This Deed is a significant milestone on that path in our region, and in our country. For the first time, it defines a legitimate, two way, honest and open working relationship between us, that is founded upon mutual trust, mutual respect and a genuine appreciation of each other's values, qualities, and ambitions.

However, this moment should not be remembered as the signing of a Deed of Agreement, but as the realisation and implementation of an historic, peaceable treaty. It is a peaceable treaty by intent, in word, in attitude and in desired outcome. And that outcome is a peaceful, collaborative community spirit that benefits everyone here, and is a model for all Australians everywhere.

To many reconciliation means the act of former enemies agreeing to an amicable truce. That is both a narrow and inaccurate definition that falls well short of what we have before us today. This is not a truce, because there are no hostilities to bring to a halt. It is, in reality, a pledge between friends.

Melissa was joined by the Chair of Gandangara, Tony Scholes, along with the mayor and CEO of Liverpool council, Ned Mannoun, and the Hon. John Ajaka as signatories to the deed. It should be acknowledged that work on the deed began during the previous term of council, under then Mayor Wendy Waller. I commend the work of the former council in recognising the need for reconciliation and for beginning the journey toward this deed. I commend all members of the deed working group from both parties, whose core team consisted of Kelly Nichols, Mark Spithill and Melissa Williams at Gandangara, and Galavizh Ahmadi Nia and Tina Bono at Liverpool City Council. The deed of agreement should set an example for similar bodies around the nation. It points to a positive way forward for all levels of government on the path to genuine reconciliation.

I note Labor's commitment prior to the election of $5 million towards a year-long consultation on a legally binding agreement between the New South Wales Government and Indigenous Australians, which, much like this deed, will allow for partnership and collaboration around decision-making. The now Premier said in January, "When you partner with Indigenous organisations and First Nations leaders, you're getting better outcomes." Work on the consultation process will begin after the referendum on the Voice later in the year. While we are on the topic of the Voice and bipartisanship, I was struck by the words of the Federal member for Berowra, Julian Leeser, who said in May about the Voice, "You make better public policy when you consult people that are directly affected by the laws and policies that are made about them. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the only people that we make laws about on the basis of their race. It's therefore a reasonable thing that they should be consulted about the effect of those laws and policies."

The Voice referendum provides an important opportunity for Australians to come together and make lasting change that will benefit our nation for many generations to come. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a rich cultural heritage stretching back 65,000 years. They also face unique challenges and systemic disadvantage in modern Australia. It is about time that the history and contributions of First Nations peoples were recognised in our Constitution through the Voice to Parliament, as was called for in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. I will be voting yes, and I look forward to having discussions and working with the people of Leppington as part of the Yes campaign.