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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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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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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.

 

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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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Ending disadvantage requires significantly increased access to the capital, markets and land that drive Indigenous economic development – more jobs opportunities are great, but unless you have economically independent groups supported to do business, meaningful change just won’t happen. 

That’s what we said in our latest media statement, which responded to yesterday’s Closing the Gap annual statement. A focus on economic development, and its importance to achieving all other Closing the Gap targets, is welcome, but more must be done.

READ MORE | https://bit.ly/3CM8abS

Ending disadvantage requires significantly increased access to the capital, markets and land that drive Indigenous economic development – more jobs opportunities are great, but unless you have economically independent groups supported to do business, meaningful change just won’t happen.

That’s what we said in our latest media statement, which responded to yesterday’s Closing the Gap annual statement. A focus on economic development, and its importance to achieving all other Closing the Gap targets, is welcome, but more must be done.

READ MORE |
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sciences have tackled big challenges and unearthed new knowledge for tens of thousands of years. 

And now, they’re being nationally awarded.

The annual Prime Minister’s Prize for Science is Australia’s most prestigious science awards. It’s just opened nominations for this year’s prizes, and for the first time, has a prize category specifically for our ways of knowing.

The Prime Minister’s Prize for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems will award $250,000 for the preservation and practice of our knowledge systems occurring across Australia. 

Nominations are open now and close on 18 March.

LEARN MORE | business.gov.au/PMPSKS25

Department of Industry, Science and Resources

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sciences have tackled big challenges and unearthed new knowledge for tens of thousands of years.

And now, they’re being nationally awarded.

The annual Prime Minister’s Prize for Science is Australia’s most prestigious science awards. It’s just opened nominations for this year’s prizes, and for the first time, has a prize category specifically for our ways of knowing.

The Prime Minister’s Prize for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems will award $250,000 for the preservation and practice of our knowledge systems occurring across Australia.

Nominations are open now and close on 18 March.

LEARN MORE | business.gov.au/PMPSKS25

Department of Industry, Science and Resources
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Later today the prime minister will deliver the latest Closing the Gap statement.

We know just five of these 19 targets to overcome inequality between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Australians are on track – and, in fact, four have gone backwards.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were in prison and out-of-home care, dying by suicide, and starting school already developmentally behind at higher rates in 2024 than the previous year.

This is shameful and utterly unacceptable.

A plan to address food security across regional and remote Australia will come in today’s statement, and that’s a good step.

But what we need to see to Close the Gap is Aboriginal control over Aboriginal lives.

We get better outcomes and real, transformative change when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities make our own decisions and lead our own affairs.

It’s what we need to Close the Gap, what will underpin any successful program or plan, and what we need to respect the expertise and authority of Aboriginal communities.
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