First Nations South Australians are being encouraged to enrol to nominate and vote in the upcoming election for the state's First Nations Voice to Parliament.

The first election for the body took place in March 2024, with the 46-member strong Voice working tirelessly, the Government says, to engage with local Aboriginal communities, as well as alongside government agencies and Ministers to develop changes to positively impact the lives of Aboriginal South Australians.

The inaugural Voice body was given unprecedented access to agency heads and Cabinet Ministers.

Subsequent work was then undertaken across multiple portfolios, the government says, to address issues of concern in areas including the Voice's priority areas of health and wellbeing housing and infrastructure, and justice and policing.

"We recognised that for too long, decisions have been made for Aboriginal people, and not by Aboriginal people," South Australian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Kyam Maher, said.

"At its heart, the Voice is about ensuring First Nations people have more of a say in the decisions that affect their lives."

The South Australian Government said the justice system has been a strong focus of the Voice, with members undertaking visits to courts as well as metropolitan and regional prisons to hear from residents first hand, and engaging closely with relevant departments and Ministerial offices.

In recognition of advice from the Voice and in line with Closing the Gap priorities, a new 30-bed Bail Accommodation Support Program (BASP) will be established to ensure Aboriginal needs are a central focus of the program's development and delivery.

Key principles of the new BASP will be co-designed with the Voice and South Australian Aboriginal community controlled sector (ACCOs), and will provide participants with case management to transition to longer-term housing, increase their likelihood of meeting bail conditions, maintain links to the community and reduce recidivism.

"The Voice to Parliament was established to provide a strong and direct line of communication for First Nations peoples to South Australia's Parliament and that's exactly what we have seen in its first years of operation," Mr Maher said.

Voice members also highlighted the opportunity to improve community understanding and raise awareness of the Nunga Court, which operates in the Port Adelaide, Murray Bridge and Maitland Magistrates Courts to increase its potential.

The Government said it has committed to developing culturally appropriate materials which help members of the Aboriginal community understand the role of the Nunga Court and how it works.

"Since its establishment the Voice has shown that embedding First Nations perspectives at the centre of government decision-making leads to better outcomes for Aboriginal people and for all South Australians, across health, justice and other areas," Mr Maher said.

A Safe Birthing on Country practices project has also been established as a result of direct advocacy from the Voice.

The Review and Co-design of a Statewide Approach to Aboriginal Family Birthing Programs has been approved by the Department of Health and Wellbeing (DHW) to establish a co-designed model of care across metropolitan and regional SA, defining and embedding Birthing on Country principles to deliver high-quality maternal and infant care.

The Government said DHW has also approved funding to design models of care for Aboriginal youth and adults within custody and forensic mental health settings, in co-design with the Aboriginal Community Controlled sector.

The initiative will also explore appropriate mechanisms for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) to provide access and support within custody settings.

The Voice also contributed to numerous pieces of Government legislation, including legislation relating to early childhood development, preventative health, biodiversity and justice.

Mr Maher said work continues on projects to deliver better outcomes for Aboriginal South Australians and closing the gaps.

"We know there is more work to do and I would encourage all South Australian First Nations people interested in representing their communities and achieving better outcomes for all South Australian First Nations people to nominate for these roles to continue to help shape the work of this important body," he said.

Voting for the Voice will occur at the same time as the upcoming South Australian state election.

Nominations for the Voice are officially open, closing Tuesday 10 February.

Information on how to enrol is available online.