Referendum 'achievable' in 2017: PM

A referendum to recognise indigenous Australians in the constitution could come as early as next year.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says holding a national vote in 2017 is "achievable", as long as it resonated with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

"I would like to see it get up, but it's got to have something that enthuses indigenous people, that they see as meaningful, and then it's got to be in practical, political terms achievable," he told Fairfax Media.