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Welcome to the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

We’re the state-wide body fighting for the rights and interests of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations while progressing wider social, economic, environmental and cultural objectives.

About

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 with Country. The Federation’s policy, advocacy and government relations work helps restore Traditional Owners’ authority in frameworks for managing of Country.

View our work for Country

Community

Community wellbeing means strong culture.

The Federation’s work recognises Traditional Owner Corporations as authoritative and representative decision-makers with rights, power, and responsibilities. Our advocacy and services support Traditional Owners to care for Country, culture and community.

View our work for community

Economy

Strong and independent economies sustain Traditional Owner communities and enable self-determination.

The Federation’s research, grant administration, knowledge-sharing and advocacy promote rights-based economic development for Traditional Owner Corporations.

View our work for economy

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 rights, 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 Traditional Owners’ economic development considered as more than just small business grants.

See our impact

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.

Founded in 2013 by Traditional Owner Corporations who recognised they could be stronger together, we are by and for Traditional Owners: their policy and advocacy body, helping to enhance their authority on behalf of their communities.

Our strategy

Resources

Discussion papers
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Information sheets
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Publications
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Early-bird pricing for the First Nations Clean Energy Network’s conference closes today!

And sponsored spot for mob are available. 💡

It’s two days of collaboration and action on First Nations’ roles in renewables, bringing Traditional Owners together with industry, government and investors.

📆 18-20 August 2026
🕒 two full conference days plus welcome dinner
📍 Djilang (Geelong), VIC
❓events@firstnationscleanenergy.org.au

Early-bird pricing for the First Nations Clean Energy Network’s conference closes today!

And sponsored spot for mob are available. 💡

It’s two days of collaboration and action on First Nations’ roles in renewables, bringing Traditional Owners together with industry, government and investors.

📆 18-20 August 2026
🕒 two full conference days plus welcome dinner
📍 Djilang (Geelong), VIC
[email protected]
... See MoreSee Less

Happy Tuesday from the Federation 👋🏽 heres what were up to this week.

⚫ On Thursday we’re hosting a CEO Forum – a chance for all Traditional Owner Corporations to collaborate on shared issues and opportunities – and it’s occupying a few of our team members... 

⚫ Lisa’s coordinating the day and Ken’s booked the cars and catering. On the agenda: Daniel on native foods and economic development, Sophie on election-focused strategic advocacy, and Gabby, to present the Traditional Owner Workforce Development Framework – plus external presenters on culturally significant species, data centres, AI, and more.

⚫ We’re also wrapping up this current TOC Caucus secretariat contract (Lisa and the team have their hands in a heap of close-out actions, including Steph’s delivery of a water partnership protocol policy paper, and Kurt’s focus on biocultural diversity). 

⚫ Ben’s focused on the audit and year’s-end taxes, and Sophie’s celebrating getting all her reimbursements in (as well as writing this month’s newsletter and an angry – yet unpublished! – media release).

⚫ Kurt’s deep in cultural fire policy and final reporting for the Nation Building Resource Pool grant program, and joined the Conservation Regulator’s stakeholder reference group, to clarify new relationship for Traditional Owners as the regulator takes some of Parks Victoria’s investigation functions.

⚫ And we the pleasure of an organisational tête-à-tête this morning with the Indigenous consultancy yamagigu, whose office is just up the road from ours – and whose hospitality, company, and views (!) are sublime.

Happy Tuesday from the Federation 👋🏽 here's what we're up to this week.

⚫ On Thursday we’re hosting a CEO Forum – a chance for all Traditional Owner Corporations to collaborate on shared issues and opportunities – and it’s occupying a few of our team members...

⚫ Lisa’s coordinating the day and Ken’s booked the cars and catering. On the agenda: Daniel on native foods and economic development, Sophie on election-focused strategic advocacy, and Gabby, to present the Traditional Owner Workforce Development Framework – plus external presenters on culturally significant species, data centres, AI, and more.

⚫ We’re also wrapping up this current TOC Caucus secretariat contract (Lisa and the team have their hands in a heap of close-out actions, including Steph’s delivery of a water partnership protocol policy paper, and Kurt’s focus on biocultural diversity).

⚫ Ben’s focused on the audit and year’s-end taxes, and Sophie’s celebrating getting all her reimbursements in (as well as writing this month’s newsletter and an angry – yet unpublished! – media release).

⚫ Kurt’s deep in cultural fire policy and final reporting for the Nation Building Resource Pool grant program, and joined the Conservation Regulator’s stakeholder reference group, to clarify new relationship for Traditional Owners as the regulator takes some of Parks Victoria’s investigation functions.

⚫ And we the pleasure of an organisational tête-à-tête this morning with the Indigenous consultancy yamagigu, whose office is just up the road from ours – and whose hospitality, company, and views (!) are sublime.
... See MoreSee Less

Thanks for having us, Murrup Barak!

Our CEO Kaley presented to First Nations students from The University of Melbourne this afternoon, ahead of their trip to Switzerland for an Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples session.

Kaley presented at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York in 2023, so had plenty of tips on Indigenous rights and international affairs to share.

Were grateful to Murrup Barak (spirit of Barak) for inviting us for the yarn, and for its support to First Nations folk accessing higher education at Melbourne.

Thanks for having us, Murrup Barak!

Our CEO Kaley presented to First Nations students from The University of Melbourne this afternoon, ahead of their trip to Switzerland for an Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples session.

Kaley presented at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York in 2023, so had plenty of tips on Indigenous rights and international affairs to share.

We're grateful to Murrup Barak ('spirit of Barak') for inviting us for the yarn, and for its support to First Nations folk accessing higher education at Melbourne.
... See MoreSee Less

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