Home - Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

Welcome to the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

The Federation is the Victorian state-wide body that convenes and advocates for the rights and interests of Traditional Owners while progressing wider social, economic, environmental and cultural objectives.

About Us

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land we work on as the First Peoples of this Country.

Country

Healthy Country means healthy communities. Our work recognises Traditional Owners’ rights and responsibilities to care and make decisions for Country.

Traditional Owner groups have knowledge, rights and responsibilities, stemming from 65,000 years of experience on Country. The Federation works in the following areas to embed Traditional Owner voices in management of Country.

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Animals

Climate

Closing the Gap

Cultural Landscapes

Fire

Heritage

Plants

Water

Workforce Development Framework

Community

Community wellbeing means strong culture, people and place.

The Federation’s work recognises Traditional Owner groups as authoritative decision-makers with rights and power. Our advocacy, programs and services enable Traditional Owners to get on with the business of caring for Country, culture and community.

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Aboriginal Culture and Healing Flood Recovery Grant Program

Closing the Gap

Country-based planning services

First Principles Review

Nation Building Knowledge Sharing Day

Nation-building

Rights

Treaty

Workforce Development Framework

Economy

Economic development supports community wellbeing and is critical to enabling self-determination.

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Aboriginal-owned joint ventures

Closing the Gap

Economic Development Roadmap

Indigenous preferential procurement

Local government

Native foods and botanicals business grants

Native foods and botanicals strategy

Renewable energy

Victorian Aboriginal economic development

Workforce Development Framework

Impact

The Federation’s advocacy shapes the landscape in which Victorian Traditional Owner corporations do their important work.

We have put cultural fire and cultural water on the agenda for government, sought greater protections for Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property, fought for a fair place in the expanding native foods and botanicals industry, championed treaty and self-determination, supported a drastic reconsideration of how our cultural heritage is approached at both state and national levels, and worked to have economic development considered as more than just small business grants.

About

The Federation is the Victorian state-wide body that convenes and advocates for the rights and interests of Traditional Owner groups while progressing wider social, economic, environmental and cultural objectives.

We support the progress of agreement-making and participation in decision-making to enhance the authority of Traditional Owner Corporations on behalf of their communities.

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10 Year Anniversary

Contact Us

Federation Enterprises

Memberships

Our Partners

Strategic Documents

Welcome to Country

Resources

Discussion papers

Information sheets

Publications

Connect with us on social media

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Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

14 hours ago

Shaping economic policy-making for strong futures for mob ✨

We were pleased to join yesterday’s full-day roundtable on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Economic Inclusion, sharing our views on how economic participation must work to improve life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Hosted by the Coalition of Peaks and the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee – which advises the Federal Government on economic inclusion and tackling disadvantage – the roundtable was an opportunity for Victorian ACCOs to shape Federal funding and policy-making for economic participation and development.

We spoke to the importance of control, ownership and decision-making in improving life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – and our CEO Kaley was thrilled to team up with Aunty Muriel Bamblett to share the Victorian Traditional Owner perspective.

We’re grateful for the invitation and opportunity to share our views.

Shaping economic policy-making for strong futures for mob ✨

We were pleased to join yesterday’s full-day roundtable on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Economic Inclusion, sharing our views on how economic participation must work to improve life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Hosted by the Coalition of Peaks and the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee – which advises the Federal Government on economic inclusion and tackling disadvantage – the roundtable was an opportunity for Victorian ACCOs to shape Federal funding and policy-making for economic participation and development.

We spoke to the importance of control, ownership and decision-making in improving life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – and our CEO Kaley was thrilled to team up with Aunty Muriel Bamblett to share the Victorian Traditional Owner perspective.

We’re grateful for the invitation and opportunity to share our views. ... See MoreSee Less

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

21 hours ago

Traditional Owners will own land, suggest sites, and supply millions of seed and seedlings under the framework whose co-design we facilitated for Victoria’s massive land revegetation program. 🌱

Last week, Cassinia Environment held its second biannual accountability and update meeting on progress against the Walking Together Framework. whose co-design we facilitated last year to track commitments to Traditional Owner partnership.

Traditional Owners will own land, suggest sites, and supply millions of seed and seedlings under the framework whose co-design we facilitated for Victoria’s massive land revegetation program. 🌱

Last week, Cassinia Environment held its second biannual accountability and update meeting on progress against the Walking Together Framework. whose co-design we facilitated last year to track commitments to Traditional Owner partnership. ... See MoreSee Less

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

4 days ago

Fur sales considerations arent just about making possum skin cloaks.

Theres a much bigger picture at play: of how Traditional Owners are connected to and managing Country, how their rights and interests are respected, how continuous cultural connection happens in a colonised place, and how regulators make decisions that affect the fundamental principle that all industry in Australia now happens on stolen land.

Thats the view we shared at todays workshop on a potential sale of fur, sharing our policy insights into how a potential ban could – inadvertently! – undermine Traditional Owners.

We were grateful to be invited to share our views, and proud to sit alongside Victorian Traditional Owner groups in this incredibly diverse forum.

Our CEO Kaley is second from right, between Animal Justice Party AJP Victorias Georgie Purcell and our natural resources management advisor Lisa, whos next to Victorian Labors Ryan Batchelor. Thank you Georgie and Ryan for the invitation to share our views.

Fur sales considerations aren't just about making possum skin cloaks.

There's a much bigger picture at play: of how Traditional Owners are connected to and managing Country, how their rights and interests are respected, how continuous cultural connection happens in a colonised place, and how regulators make decisions that affect the fundamental principle that all industry in Australia now happens on stolen land.

That's the view we shared at today's workshop on a potential sale of fur, sharing our policy insights into how a potential ban could – inadvertently! – undermine Traditional Owners.

We were grateful to be invited to share our views, and proud to sit alongside Victorian Traditional Owner groups in this incredibly diverse forum.

Our CEO Kaley is second from right, between Animal Justice Party AJP Victoria's Georgie Purcell and our natural resources management advisor Lisa, who's next to Victorian Labor's Ryan Batchelor. Thank you Georgie and Ryan for the invitation to share our views. ... See MoreSee Less

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

4 days ago

Kaley Nicholson is the Federations next CEO. ✊🏾

A proud Koorie woman with an MIBL and Beyonce quote on her bedroom wall, shes – as of yesterday morning – officially our CEO. We couldnt be more thrilled.

Everything I do is for my community, and working with the Federation is no exception. I’m excited and honoured to take up the challenge of leading the Federation into this next phase, where we’ll see Traditional Owner Treaty negotiations begin, an even stronger focus on Traditional Owners’ economic rights and leadership, and fierce advocacy on the collective priorities of Victorian Traditional Owner groups.

Read our statement 👉🏾 bit.ly/488hHqs

Kaley Nicholson is the Federation's next CEO. ✊🏾

A proud Koorie woman with an MIBL and Beyonce quote on her bedroom wall, she's – as of yesterday morning – officially our CEO. We couldn't be more thrilled.

"Everything I do is for my community, and working with the Federation is no exception. I’m excited and honoured to take up the challenge of leading the Federation into this next phase, where we’ll see Traditional Owner Treaty negotiations begin, an even stronger focus on Traditional Owners’ economic rights and leadership, and fierce advocacy on the collective priorities of Victorian Traditional Owner groups."

Read our statement 👉🏾 bit.ly/488hHqs ... See MoreSee Less

© 2025 Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations