12m agoSat 2 Aug 2025 at 2:45amWATCH: Prime minister speaking live at Garma
2m agoSat 2 Aug 2025 at 2:54am
PM outlines plan for economic empowerment
Mr Albanese it outlining what he calls “a new approach” to Indigenous affairs policy.
“Our Government also wants to work with communities as economic decision-makers, to unlock the true potential of their land and their endeavour,” Mr Albanese says.
“Beyond passing transactions to lasting partnerships that create and share wealth.”
You can read my colleague Dana Morse’s write-up of the policy here:
6m agoSat 2 Aug 2025 at 2:51amAnthony Albanese speaks to ‘egalitarian spirit’ of annual Garma Festival
Albanese, making this address for the fourth year in a row, says he feels at home up in this remote corner of Arnhem Land.
He praises the spirit of the Yunupingu brothers who started Garma in 1999 as a small backyard gathering and the long way the festival has come since.
“From humble beginnings, Garma has grown and transformed beyond even the extraordinary vision and imagination of its founders,” the PM says.
“But the generous, egalitarian and welcoming spirit of those early days is as strong and proud and warm as ever.”
17m agoSat 2 Aug 2025 at 2:40am
Yunupingu says he wants economic buy-in
Mr Yunupingu says he wants to see “a real economy in Arnhem Land”.
“Yolŋu people are not suddenly going to stop and rest and think everything is OK.,” he says.
“We intend to be part of the future.
“We intend to use our lands and waters for our own future, and the future of our children, and the future of the nation.”
20m agoSat 2 Aug 2025 at 2:37amYolŋu leader says ‘it’s behind us’ after shedding tear with PM
Yothu Yindi Foundation chairman Djawa Yunupingu is speaking next, recounting what he calls the “broken promises” of past governments.
He says the prospect of a treaty in the 1980s was “washed down by the politics of the day”.
“We thought about a prime minister who made a promise to powerful leaders and clans … only to leave us high and dry.
“In our law, words and promises are sacred.
“Given between senior people, words are everlasting. they are carved into our hearts and our minds.”
He makes a point of reading the lyrics to his brother’s song Treaty about “talking politicians” in the presence of the PM and senior ministers.
Speaking to Anthony Albanese from the stage, he says “we knew we had to move on”, after the defeat of the Voice referendum.
“We talked about it last year and we shed a tear together, and now it’s behind us.”
29m agoSat 2 Aug 2025 at 2:28amLocal leader says politicans’ presence at Garma ‘powerful’ but not ‘enough’
Denise Bowden welcomes the prime minister’s attendance at the festival but says he musn’t be “fooled” into thinking it does enough to advance progress on Indigenous issues.
“Your presence here is a powerful signal to the bush that you’re prepared to go the distance with us,” she says.
“But don’t leave Garma and leave things on endless repeat. Don’t be here to think your attendance here is enough.”
(ABC News: Che Chorley)40m agoSat 2 Aug 2025 at 2:17amPM arrives at Garma
A large crowd is gathered here at the Key Forum stage where Anthony Albanese is due to make his address shortly.
Before the PM speaks though, we’ll be hearing from some figures from the Yothu Yindi Foundation (YYF) that run the festival.
First up is Denise Bowden, chief executive of the YYF.
1h agoSat 2 Aug 2025 at 1:40amNT MLA calls out ‘inhumane’ and ‘animal’-like treatment of Indigenous people
Aboriginal politician Yiŋiya Mark Guyula, a Yolŋu leader, has given a powerful and emotional address saying Indigenous people fear the Country Liberal government in the Northern Territory.
He said the NT government’s policies send a message to Aboriginal people that they are “animals”.
He has been sounding the alarm over the rising numbers of First Nations adults and children in jail, as well as conditions in police watch houses.
Mulka MLA Yingiya Mark Guyula is an Indigenous elder. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)
The NT government is pursuing a law-and-order agenda, this week passing a swing of amendments, including reinstating the use of spit hoods in youth detention, and removing the principle of detention as a last resort.
“The jails are full, our people are held in inhumane conditions for weeks in watch houses,” Mr Guyula said.
“There has been no consultation with our leaders, our elders … [or] legal experts.
“Every time the government speaks we fear. You are making costly mistakes, you are not listening.”
Yesterday, the NT’s Aboriginal affairs minister, Steve Edgington, who was also at Garma, could not say what, if any, consultations the CLP government had undertaken with Indigenous groups in the lead up to the youth justice amendments passed.
Pressed on the issue twice, he said he didn’t “have the data in front of him”.
1h agoSat 2 Aug 2025 at 1:25am’We have to do it together’
Failures to make meaningful progress on Closing the Gap have been front of mind for many at this festival, and Yolŋu leader Djawa Yunupingu says change is beyond any one person.
“I come to think of closing the gap, it won’t happen tomorrow, he says.
“It will take ages.
“But let me tell you one thing. Here, with my family, we close our own little gap.
“When we think about the gap, it’s getting wider and wider, but why isn’t it being done now? And that’s what the prime minister has to listen to. We do it together, the prime minister and the average people of this nation.”
(ABC News: Che Chorley)1h agoSat 2 Aug 2025 at 1:11amSussan Ley visits the Kimberley
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is not at the festival, but is focusing on Indigenous affairs, visiting remote communities in the Kimberley.
She says she’s spending the time “listening to Indigenous leaders, communities and organisations”.
(X: Sussan Ley)2h agoSat 2 Aug 2025 at 12:45amCommunities want PM to be brave on Indigenous policy
Anthony Albanese is no stranger to Garma — the prime minister attended all three years in his first term, leveraging the festival to advance his government’s Indigenous affairs agenda.
His attendance this year is the first since Labor’s re-election to parliament with a thumping majority, and comes as some from the community feel First Nations policy has suffered a setback, and is being sidelined from the national conversation post the failure of the Voice.
“That referendum was such a complete disaster on so many fronts and set the whole of the country so much on the back foot, and it is not going to be an easy task to reset,” Rachael Maza from the Ilbijerri Theatre Company says.
“To be completely left out of the picture during the election, both parties just said, ‘Oh, we’re not going to talk black.’
“So the government has a massive mandate — a massive opportunity here. He (Albanese) has got to be brave. He has got to be prepared to really go forward.”
(ABC News: Stephanie Boltje)2h agoSat 2 Aug 2025 at 12:29am’New direction’ in government investment
The prime minister’s announcement will create a new partnership between the Commonwealth, the existing First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance, and the Coalition of the Peaks.
It includes $70 million for First Nations clean energy projects, and $75 million for native title reforms.
Chair of the First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance Peter Yu has welcomed the announcement, saying it’s an opportunity for a new pathway towards economic independence for First Nations people.
“For too long our people have struggled to gain a foothold in the modern economy. This new direction recognises our potential to be significant contributors in the new and emerging economic landscape,” he says.
“That will not be achievable without new policy settings the economic partnership will deliver. It will require new thinking and practice by government departments and agencies, and broader engagement with the private sector.”
Albanese is expected to address the key forum later today, and formally outline his plan for economic development for Indigenous people and communities.
2h agoSat 2 Aug 2025 at 12:13amConcern policy could spell ‘success for the few’
Sean Gordon, an Indigenous businessman and entrepreneur, says while there are upsides to the government’s investment, similar policies have stuggled to make difference across the board.
“The challenge I have is we’ve had these type of announcements previously, or in our recent history, if we look back 10 years ago with the announcement of the Indigenous Procurement Policy, it had great success but had great success for the few and not for the many.”
“I am concerned that this particular investment will benefit those who have capability, capacity, to be able to tap into the opportunity, but it will leave behind many of our people, who unfortunately aren’t able to tap into that due to the lack of investment in education and building their capability and capacity.”
(ABC News: Stephanie Boltje)2h agoFri 1 Aug 2025 at 11:59pmWhat’s in the government’s new economic empowerment package?
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will today announce three key initiatives that he says will build on Closing the Gap comittments and the “wealth” of Indigenous lands.
The centrepiece policy involves investing into an economic partnership between the federal government, the First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance, and the Coalition of Peaks, a representative body of more than 80 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations.
The other announcements include:
$75 million to support Native Title Holders in securing better deals and getting claims approved faster$31 million to deliver training for mobile TAFE through utes and trailers that will enable teachers to take skills on the road and train the next generation of workers in the Aboriginal community controlled sector
It’s the first significant announcement in the Indigenous affairs space since Labor’s re-election in May.
3h agoFri 1 Aug 2025 at 11:42pmYolŋu leader’s search for ‘a better way’
The chair of the Yothu Yindi foundation, Djawa Yunupingu, says he’ll be meeting with the prime minister when he visits Garma today.
“I want to ask the prime minister to work with us, regardless of us losing the referendum,” he says.
“It’s behind us now. We want you to work for the young people, the Aboriginal people from around Australia and look for a better way. “
(ABC News: Che Chorley)3h agoFri 1 Aug 2025 at 11:29pmGood morning from Garma
It’s very windy in north-east Arnhem Land this morning, but we’re all set to bring you the latest from the Garma Festival.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to address the festival later today to announce a new economic partnership with Indigenous Australians.
But let’s start the day with some more images from our photographer Che Chorley.
(ABC News: Che Chorley)
(ABC News: Che Chorley)
(ABC News: Che Chorley)