The Garma Festival in Arnhem Land continues this week with a speech from the head of the Australian Space Agency, Enrico Palermo.

August 1, 2022

Australia’s growing space industry will be on the agenda at Garma Festival, as the nation’s largest Indigenous gathering continues to celebrate Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s historic Voice to parliament speech.

The four-day festival at Gulka, a significant ceremonial site overlooking the ocean in northeast Arnhem Land, continues on Monday with a speech from the head of the Australian Space Agency, Enrico Palermo.

It will be followed by a presentation by the festival’s youth participants and a closing ceremonial bungul, on the massive gathering’s final day.

It comes after Indigenous leaders on Sunday discussed their next steps in the push for reconciliation following Mr Albanese’s speech to reveal the government’s recommended Voice to parliament referendum question and the three sentences to be added to the Constitution to enable it.

Uphold and Recognise chair Sean Gordon told a forum Indigenous Australians and Uluru Statement campaigners must come together with a clear strategy to take the movement forward.

“It needs to be a clear, co-ordinated strategy and a way forward otherwise we won’t have the success that we would like to think we’re going to have,” he said.

He estimated the yes campaign would need about $20 million, saying much of that would need to come from non-Indigenous Australians, who make up 97 per cent of the population.

Uluru Statement from the Heart leader Geoff Scott said the movement would like the referendum held as soon as possible to capitalise on the “enormous” goodwill built in recent months.

“We’re ready and waiting. The real challenge is getting enough information for people to form their opinion,” he said.

“In terms of timing, maybe late next year but the prime minister was smart not to nominate a date. He’s still got to provide a level of information that gives comfort so that Australia supports this.”

NASA successfully launched three rockets from the nearby Arnhem Space Centre in June and July.