Ballarat councillors voice their support for referendum

At the previous council meeting, councillors Belinda Coates, Peter Eddy and Daniel Moloney spoke about their decisions to support the yes campaign.

Cr Coates said "a step towards truth and treaty is needed at all levels of government."

"The status quo is no where near good enough, it's clear much more needs to be in done in regards to all aspects of human rights, health, social justice for Indigenous people in this country," she said.

Cr Coates said the voice won't be a "silver bullet" but a step in the right direction.

Cr Moloney asked the people of Ballarat to "please consider voting yes."

"While it's very true there is a wide-range of views among the broader community and within First Nations communities as well, consistently polls are showing that more than 80 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people want a constitutional recognition and want a voice to represent them on issues that effect them," Cr Moloney said.

He said people are "simple being asked" to accept that "simple request".

"The hand of reconciliation has been extended and it would be a shame to slap it away," Cr Moloney said.

He also mentioned the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative had come out "in clear support".

"The welfare of all our residents should be important to us all," Cr Moloney said.

Councillors called for people to be kind.

"We have to call out racism, call out inconsiderate language," Cr Moloney said.

Cr Coates said Indigenous people were are the forefront of the "bigotry and abuse" which had come out of the public discussions around the referendum.

She called on people to be respectful and kind, regardless of views.

"It's a very difficult time as we get closer to that referendum," Cr Coates said.

Ballarat council mayor Des Hudson after the meeting, said the council has not taken a position as a whole institute.

"That was a decision of the majority of the council of the council as a group that didn't feel it was the role or responsibility of council to take a position," he said.

Cr Hudson did echo the calls for kindness.

"Regardless of people's opinion, be kind, be respectful, realise that there are people that are going to have mixed emotions to the issue and just be thoughtful," he said.

"By all means everyone exercise their vote based on their opinion, their research, whatever makes their mind up but be respectful during the process".

Thousands of Ballarat residents have already early voted for the Voice to Parliament referendum.

There are now two early voting centres open in Ballarat, one at the Ballarat Showgrounds on the corner of Howitt Street and Creswick Road and the other at the Ballarat South Community Hub, 11 Tuppen Drive, Sebastopol.

Opening times will be:

Visit The Courier's Voice to Parliament site, with the facts you need to make an informed decision on October 14.