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AAP
AAP
Politics
Dominic Giannini

Regional Australia shouts 'no' in voice vote

The 'no' vote had a clear majority in regional Australia at the Indigenous voice referendum. (Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS)

Regional Australia has recorded some of the highest 'no' votes at the referendum for an Indigenous voice.

Electorates in Western NSW pulled in a 'no' vote of more than 70 per cent, with many coming closer to 80 per cent.

About 80 per cent of people in far west Victoria rejected the proposed voice while other regional electorates spanned 'no'-vote percentages from the mid-60s to the mid-70s.

Regional South Australia voted 80 per cent 'no'.

But the nation's biggest 'no' vote emerged from regional Queensland with those against the voice in percentages spanning the mid-to-high 70s and low 80s.

Nationals Leader David Littleproud said while the public was inundated with polls saying Indigenous support was above 80 per cent, regional Australia was "where the coalface is".

"We need to drill into some of these remote towns where we have very significant Indigenous populations," Mr Littleproud told Sky News.

"For rural and remote Indigenous Australians to actually have that strong a 'no' vote is a very big message."

Asked why communities with high Indigenous populations were voting 'no', key voice architect Thomas Mayo said those against the voice had engaged in "dirty tactics".

He said it was "dishonesty" that led to the 'no' camp telling people they were going to lose something when it would only enshrine an advisory committee.

"It'll expose just a whole different style of political campaign in this country," he said of a strong 'no' vote.

Northern Territory MP Marion Scrymgour said she would need to ensure her voice in parliament became louder so Indigenous issues remained on the radar.

"We can't go backwards," said the Indigenous MP for Lingiari, which covers 99.99 per cent of the NT landmass.

"Aboriginal people want change and we've got to make sure that we can see that change, and that as a government, we take that forward."

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