I had the pleasure of attending AIGI’s Indigenous Governance Excellence Masterclass for 2019. The conference was extremely engaging and explored the concept of Indigenous governance and further notions such as succession planning, decolonised leadership styles, transparency and communication. I deepened my understanding of the principles behind successful decision-making, strategic direction and financial prosperity and independence. I was able to meet a number of knowledgeable and successful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals who are interested in developing their governance skills and who were able to share meaningful perceptions and experiences. I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women not only participating in, but leading, the governance space. Thank you AIGI for the opportunity to expand my skillset and personal networks.

The masterclass was timely and relevant to a number of Qld government projects that are currently in the review and or development phase. I found each workshop component piqued discussion around developing and embedding ways of intercultural representation and governance within government frameworks. It should be mandatory training for anyone working for the Qld Government on the current agenda to ‘reframe the relationship’ with our First Nations’ peoples.