There was standing room only at the Dubbo seminar, which was the fourth Aboriginal Affairs NSW has held to get people engaged in their 2018-2023 research agenda and the OCHRE report.

Aboriginal Affairs NSW deputy secretary Jason Ardler said the research agenda was the only one of its kind in the country. It focuses on changing the relationship between policy makers and Aboriginal communities to put their aspirations at the centre of the decision making.

“When I started sitting at government table talking about Aboriginal communities words like 'victim' and 'perpetrator' and 'disadvantage' were really part of the dominate discourse and it just didn't resonate with me,” Mr Ardler said.

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In 2011/12 when a new plan was about to be developed, Mr Adler saw the opportunity to talk to the Aboriginal people, rather than the usual approach of thinking the government knew what was best.

“We saw right across the state there were unprecedented numbers of people who came to speak to us about their aspirations,” he said.

“It became pretty apparent pretty quickly that the same old, same old wasn't going to cut it. Their expectations were raised. They said 'we've had these conversations before, we've told you what we want before and you never listen. We're going to tell you again but you better listen’.”

Tuesday’s seminar included topics on a diverse range of issues from the return of public land to Aboriginal control to Aboriginal languages with experts addressing the attendees on each issue. The keynote address was by Reconciliation Australia deputy CEO Andrea Kelly.

Mr Adler said while the ultimate goal of the day was for organisations to say they would get behind the ideas and put some research or resources into it, overall, he just wanted people to get engaged with the research and know the NSW government had shifted its thinking.

“This is the only research agenda of its kind in the country, so it is a big deal for us and when I talk to my colleagues from other states and territories they're all very, very jealous. But that's great, we want them to be doing the same,” Mr Adler said.

“We want to inspire them or motivate them or shame them.”