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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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Resources

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Two days of bold conversation about the wholesale changes needed to resource Traditional Owners’ ambitions for their futures. ✊🏾

Last week, we hosted the Traditional Owner Economic Development Roadmap Summit, where weve shared our most searing (and substantiated!) ideas for economic reform that would restore Traditional Owners to their rightful places leading the change they want to see for their communities.

The Roadmap upends decades of piecemeal Indigenous affairs policy, arguing: if we really want to overcome social disadvantage, we need more than a patchwork of programs and services.

What we need: big, bold action that resources Aboriginal communities to build independent wealth and enduring prosperity. 

15 economists. Two years of work. 10 Traditional Owner Corporations in the room.

And 11 policy changes over the next eight years.

Together, we shared some transformative ideas over our two days in Healesville, and we’re ready to get out and bring the Roadmap’s policy changes to governments, funders, and decision-makers. 

That’s the next step, because the Roadmap’s not just ideas on a page. It’s a tool we’re finalising with Traditional Owners to take to people with power, to influence real, enduring change.

👉🏾 Be the first to read the Roadmap when it launches: https://bit.ly/toc-roadmap

Two days of bold conversation about the wholesale changes needed to resource Traditional Owners’ ambitions for their futures. ✊🏾

Last week, we hosted the Traditional Owner Economic Development Roadmap Summit, where we've shared our most searing (and substantiated!) ideas for economic reform that would restore Traditional Owners to their rightful places leading the change they want to see for their communities.

The Roadmap upends decades of piecemeal Indigenous affairs policy, arguing: if we really want to overcome social disadvantage, we need more than a patchwork of programs and services.

What we need: big, bold action that resources Aboriginal communities to build independent wealth and enduring prosperity.

15 economists. Two years of work. 10 Traditional Owner Corporations in the room.

And 11 policy changes over the next eight years.

Together, we shared some transformative ideas over our two days in Healesville, and we’re ready to get out and bring the Roadmap’s policy changes to governments, funders, and decision-makers.

That’s the next step, because the Roadmap’s not just ideas on a page. It’s a tool we’re finalising with Traditional Owners to take to people with power, to influence real, enduring change.

👉🏾 Be the first to read the Roadmap when it launches:
... See MoreSee Less

Hello from Darebin Parklands, where (most of!) the Federations staff and Kumera the dog planned out a big-and-bold 2025.

Our staff planning day yesterday covered a lot of ground: mapping out a 12-month workplan, embedding our strategic plan into those priorities, learning more about our working styles and how to maximise the skills of our small-but-mighty team – and, of course, spending some quality time together in the lush Darebin Creek parklands.

One way to stay involved with our work this year is to sign up to our newsletter for Traditional Owner Corporation staff and members. Were writing that as we speak – sign up to receive Marchs edition next week!

👉🏾 https://bit.ly/4c1nmiu

Hello from Darebin Parklands, where (most of!) the Federation's staff and Kumera the dog planned out a big-and-bold 2025.

Our staff planning day yesterday covered a lot of ground: mapping out a 12-month workplan, embedding our strategic plan into those priorities, learning more about our working styles and how to maximise the skills of our small-but-mighty team – and, of course, spending some quality time together in the lush Darebin Creek parklands.

One way to stay involved with our work this year is to sign up to our newsletter for Traditional Owner Corporation staff and members. We're writing that as we speak – sign up to receive March's edition next week!

👉🏾
... See MoreSee Less

Today is National Closing the Gap Day, and the latest data shows key targets continue to go backwards.

Calls are increasing for systemic change over stop-start projects and patchworked services.

And we’ve been thinking about what that actually means.

We’ve just spent two days with 50-odd staff members from 10 Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations (plus a heap of stakeholders from government and industry), discussing our latest publication: a blueprint for economic development that we genuinely believe could provide generational change for First Nations communities.

Two years of thinking. 11 steps for change. Three staggered horizons.

The Roadmap recommends a total reimagining of economic development for First Nations communities – grounded in rights, with access to capital and markets, and with a clear-eyed view of mob strong in culture and on Country.

We all want good life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. And economic independence is what’s going to get us there.

Today is National Closing the Gap Day, and the latest data shows key targets continue to go backwards.

Calls are increasing for systemic change over stop-start projects and patchworked services.

And we’ve been thinking about what that actually means.

We’ve just spent two days with 50-odd staff members from 10 Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations (plus a heap of stakeholders from government and industry), discussing our latest publication: a blueprint for economic development that we genuinely believe could provide generational change for First Nations communities.

Two years of thinking. 11 steps for change. Three staggered horizons.

The Roadmap recommends a total reimagining of economic development for First Nations communities – grounded in rights, with access to capital and markets, and with a clear-eyed view of mob strong in culture and on Country.

We all want good life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. And economic independence is what’s going to get us there.
... See MoreSee Less

Real change begins when First Nations communities can determine their own lives, and that change requires economic independence.

Read our Closing the Gap Day media release👉🏾 bit.ly/41AmwEB

Real change begins when First Nations communities can determine their own lives, and that change requires economic independence.

Read our Closing the Gap Day media release👉🏾 bit.ly/41AmwEB
... See MoreSee Less

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