Our positioning statement 

The Rights, Information, and Advocacy Centre (RIAC) is a community organisation committed to empowering individuals with disabilities, their carers, and communities in central and north-western Victoria and south-western New South Wales.

Advocacy for justice, inclusivity, and equal representation lies at the heart of our work, ensuring that all people, regardless of their abilities, background, or circumstances, are valued and heard.

In alignment with these core values, RIAC confirms its support for the ‘Yes’ campaign in the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum.

The Voice to Parliament will give First Nations people a direct say in decision-making processes that significantly impact their lives.

Embracing the invitation extended in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, we resolve to work alongside First Nations people of the lands in which we work – the Dja Dja Wurrung, Yorta Yorta, Wurundjeri, Ladji Ladji, Barkinji, Wadawurrung, Bangeran, and Taungurung and other peoples of central and north-west Victoria, to establish a Voice enshrined in the Constitution.

We believe that the Voice will provide a pathway for:

• Addressing historical injustices.
• Empowering Indigenous communities, enabling them to have a stronger influence on policies and legislation that impact their land rights, self-determination, and social, economic, and cultural well-being.
• Facilitating the ongoing reconciliation process between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians based on acknowledging Australia’s First Nations peoples’ unique standing, rights and needs.

We encourage our communities, clients, and colleagues to join us in supporting the ‘Yes’ campaign for the Referendum in 2023.