Mixed messages, uncertainty around change and a distrust in government could be among the reasons sentiment surrounding the Voice is seemingly souring.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
But Dubbo Local Aboriginal Land Council chief executive Tatum Moore says there's also a more unfortunate element at play.
"We have to remember there's three campaigns going on at the moment, it's not just a 'Yes' and 'No'. There's also a lot of racism that's surrounding this and some federal parliamentarians are enabling it," she said.
"It's really, really sad to see because as Aboriginal people we face discrimination every day."
A survey by ACM, the publisher of this newspaper, revealed opposition to the Voice is highest in Dubbo, where 80 per cent of respondents said they intend to vote 'No' - up from 72 per cent.
Across all areas surveyed, only 34 per cent of voters said they intend to say 'Yes' on the referendum, 61 per cent said they will vote 'No' and 5 per cent were yet to make up their minds.
But Ms Moore - remaining optimistic - said she doesn't think the data reflects the reality on the ground.
"From conversations that we've been having, even when we are out on the streets, a lot of people are saying they're going to vote 'Yes'. So time will tell," she said.
Although she has been actively campaigning for the Voice, she said she understands why some Indigenous people - including some members of her own family - will be voting 'No' on October 14.
"I know where they're coming from because this has been a long fight and time and time again, our people have been let down," she said.
"But that's why it's so important for the Voice to be enshrined in the constitution because only by a referendum can it be abolished ... it can't just be changed by the government of the day, by the stroke of a pen.
"Because of the fear mongering and the tactics that have been used, it's really confusing people and they tend to lose focus on what this process actually is."
Rob Riley, a Wiradjuri man who describes himself as a "sceptical" 'Yes' voter, agrees that government mishandling of previous initiatives could be turning some against the Voice. However, for him, that is all the more reason to support it.
"If we do nothing we're still going to spend billions of dollars and achieve nothing ... or we have an opportunity now to make a change and have a stronger Aboriginal voice and hopefully get the right people making the decisions," the Wiradjuri man said.
"What have we really got to lose? Who makes all the decisions for us here today? Government. Is it working? No. If it was working we wouldn't be having this conversation.
"It's better than doing nothing and getting the same thing we do now."
'Trust your heart and be critical'
While a number of local Indigenous have have expressed support for the Voice, other high profile local figures like Riverbank Frank Doolan and Nyunggai Warren Mundine have said they'll be voting 'No'.
Ms Moore said, just like the broader population can't all be expected to vote the same way, there is a variety of perspectives in the Indigenous community. However, she says most she has spoken to are supportive.
"Jacinta Price has been saying a lot of Aboriginal people don't support the Voice. Well, we know that 80 per cent do," she said.
"People like to put us in this little box as if all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people think and feel the same. At the end of the day, we're from different communities, our history is different, we're not the same at all."
With Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people only making up 15.7 per cent of Dubbo's population and 3.2 per cent of the Australian population, Ms Moore said the 'Yes' camp are counting on non-Indigenous allies to help get the referendum across the line.
"This is a time where we really do need our allies," she said.
"I've heard stories where they feel pulled in different directions because they have close relationships with First Nations people that are for the 'No' and that are for the 'Yes'.
"I've had people actually asking me what they should vote for and I want to say 'vote yes' but I say do your own research, get out there and have those conversations.
"It comes back to really trusting your own heart and being critical of the information you're actually receiving."
The Voice to Parliament referendum will be held on Saturday, October 14.
Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens. Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.
