Super Netball came under fire recently for using the competition's only Indigenous player, Jemma Mi Mi, in promotions for their Indigenous round, but then the Queensland Firebirds didn't play her.

There have only been two Indigenous players Marcia Ella-Duncan and Sharon Finnan-White in the national team, and none since the 1990s.

While participation rates show four per cent of the netball community is Indigenous, this doesn't translate to elite levels.

The former Diamonds have been vocal abo,ut the lack of action by Netball Australia and will help lead an investigation, it was announced on Tuesday,

The "declaration of commitment" is a pledge from a coalition of 20 of netball's peak organisations, including Super Netball, to take significant action to break down the barriers that have prevented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, coaches, umpires and administrators from flourishing in the sport.

"We will no longer tolerate a fragmented approach that allows us to say 'that's someone else's responsibility'," said Netball Australia chief executive Marne Fechner.

"We are saying it's our collective responsibility to fix this in partnership with the people and communities who have been under-represented in our game for too long.

"It's significant in that it's netball's first unified response to this issue.

"We acknowledge that netball hasn't fully addressed the barriers that confront Aborignal and Torres Strait Islander people in our system and we apologise for that."

Fechner said it was "unacceptable"to only have one Indigenous player in Super Netball.

Ella-Duncan, who was the first Aboriginal player to represent Australia in netball in 1986, said the action was long overdue.

She said that the global focus on the Black Lives Matter movement had tightened the focus on racism issues in Australia while Mi Mi's treatment had been a catalyst.

"It's really forced us to this situation where we have to say to each other, 'what are doing and what do we need to do to make a difference?'" Ella-Duncan said.

"I'm incredibly optimistic about the announcement and moved by the unified approach.

"It's a commitment to take action and that's what we're really looking for."

The early phases of the declaration will focus on further understanding the experiences of players, coaches, umpires and administrators.

Tracking and reporting of this will then be a foundation of a national strategy to be put into action by next April, with the goal to increase opportunities and participation in elite pathways.

Australian Associated Press