Six members of Tasmania's Aboriginal community have been appointed by the Tasmanian Government to the state's inaugural Aboriginal Advisory group.
Representing the North-East, South, Circular Head, North-West and Flinders Island regions, Tasmanian Aborignal community members Nick Cameron, Rodney Dillon, Gypsy Draven, Dave mangenner Gough, Maxine Roughly and Theresa Sainty make up the six-member advisory group.
The group's first task will be to work together with the government to design a path towards Truth-telling and Treaty that is led by Aboriginal people.
The announcement of the group comes after Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Tasmanian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Roger Jaensch met with Aboriginal community representatives earlier in the year, with nominations for membership of the advisory group sought following the historic meeting.
Mr Jaensch said the government undertook careful consideration when appointing the advisory group.
"The members of the Advisory Body were nominated by Tasmanian Aboriginal people, through an open process," he said.
"The Government carefully considered all of the nominees and feedback, and ensured the membership of the Advisory Group was broadly representative of Tasmanian Aboriginal people, including region and gender."
Mr Jaensch said the group will undertake a number of tasks to ensure that the process towards Truth-telling and Treaty in Tasmania is informed by current best-practise, with an opportunity for dialogue to occur between the advisory group and Indigenous people in Tasmania.
"The Advisory group will have its first meeting early next year, and will be supported to undertake whatever work it feels is needed, including investigating work underway in other jurisdictions, undertaking research, seeking specialist advice and consulting with Aboriginal people across the State.
"There is no set timeframe or predetermined outcome for this work – these matters will be determined by the group."
Advisory group member and South-East Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation Chairperson Rodney Dillon said the pathway towards Truth-Telling and Treaty was important to all Tasmanians.
"It's an important step for us all to take, Truth-telling and Treaty and the Voice to Parliament," Mr Dillon said.
"They're all important steps and we need to be on-board and make as many gains as we can, while we can."
Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre's (TAC) Campaign Manager Nala Mansell has dismissed the appointment of the government's advisory body, suggesting that the government has hand-selected individuals representing various Tasmanian Aboriginal organisations.
"The state government have now hand picked their own small group made up of people representing Aboriginal organisations," Ms Mansell said.
Ms Mansell indicated that the 11 person delegation of Aborignal people, elected as part of a TAC-facilitated election held in July of this year should instead represent the Tasmanian Aborignal community's views to government on Truth-telling and Treaty.
"150 Tasmanian Aborigines elected a delegation of Aborigines to represent the Aboriginal community on Treaty and Truth-telling. This was not the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre - this was the Aboriginal community."
The 11-person delegation was elected the day before the Tasmanian government's planned July meeting with Aborignal community representatives, a meeting boycotted by the TAC who publicly disagreed with the government's process, with Ms Mansell labelling the process as "flawed from the start" and "a waste of time and money."
Minister Jaensch told ABC Radio that although discussions have occurred between the government and the TAC-facilitated Truth-telling and Treaty delegation, the group have so far declined the invitation to join the advisory body.
"We have also been having continuing discussions with a group that has been nominated through the TAC processes and we have invited them to join the group," Minister Jaensch said.
"At this stage their preference is to stay outside of it, but we will ensure that their views and their input are considered thoroughly in the process."
Although none of of the eleven delegates elected as part of the TAC-facilitated Truth-telling and Treaty delegation were selected by the Tasmanian government to its Aborignal Advisory group, one elected delegate, Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania (ALCT) chair Michael Mansell, has accepted the appointment of the body.
"The government takes advice from its Aboriginal group, which is fine," Mr Mansell told ABC Radio.
However, Mr Mansell suggested that the TAC-facilitated Truth-telling and Treaty delegation sat independent of the government's advisory group and Treaty should be negotiated separately.
"When it (the government) negotiates with the Aboriginal community about how much land we're going to get back, how you're going to share power, are there going to be reparations and if so, who's going to pay for that… you can't have a group of Aborigines advising the government and also negotiating with the government," he said.
"So we're separate from that advisory role."