Home - Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

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.

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.

Resources

Discussion papers

Information sheets

Publications

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Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

21 hours ago

Involving Traditional Owners in clean energy isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s the most efficient and effective way forward.

Our CEO Kaley spoke on a panel at last weeks First Nations Clean Energy Symposium. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to make the case for Traditional Owner involvement in, and leadership of, development on-Country, and to be in the room with so many brilliant, visionary First Nations thinkers.

Thanks for having us, First Nations Clean Energy Network!

"Involving Traditional Owners in clean energy isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s the most efficient and effective way forward."

Our CEO Kaley spoke on a panel at last week's First Nations Clean Energy Symposium. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to make the case for Traditional Owner involvement in, and leadership of, development on-Country, and to be in the room with so many brilliant, visionary First Nations thinkers.

Thanks for having us, First Nations Clean Energy Network!Traditional Owners have a leading role to play in emerging economies including renewables, and are capable economic actors ready to take our seat at the table. What we need is for investment and policy-making that matches our ambition.

That’s Kaley Nicholson talking, CEO of Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations.

Kaley told the 500-strong audience at the First Nations Clean Energy Symposium, "Involving Traditional Owners in clean energy isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s the most efficient and effective way forward.

“Mining oil and gas damages Country. The clean energy transition is the chance to right the wrongs of the past and do development better.

"Traditional Owners are caring for the Country whose resources will power the nation, and we’re ready to partner with governments and industry to keep Country healthy and energy sources green.

“Traditional Owners aren’t just stakeholders in the clean energy sector – we’re rights-holders and economic drivers, with a seat at the table and a leading role to play for community and Country."

🔆 Thanks for speaking at the Symposium Kaley about the transformational work that’s taken place as a result of First Peoples leadership in Victoria.

Photo by Mark Thomson ... See MoreSee Less

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

2 days ago

An untapped billion-dollar benefit awaits the Victorian economy – once policymakers back in Traditional Owners.

An untapped billion-dollar benefit awaits the Victorian economy – once policymakers back in Traditional Owners. ... See MoreSee Less

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

4 days ago

Treatys changing the policymaking landscape.

And were right in the middle of it, as Ngaweeyan Maar-oo co-chair.

Today, our CEO Kaley is at a full-day transition workshop, where the 22 Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and 14 Victorian Government representatives that make up Ngaweeyan Marr-oo are agreeing to next steps for the Closing the Gap decision-making forum.

Weve engaged facilitators to help us build consensus and clarity, and are focused on making sure efforts to both Close the Gap and build Aboriginal self-determination through Gellung Warls representative and accountability functions complement one another.

Its connecting the dots, building on shared strength, and working together for efficiencies and good outcomes – exactly the way we like to operate.

Treaty's changing the policymaking landscape.

And we're right in the middle of it, as Ngaweeyan Maar-oo co-chair.

Today, our CEO Kaley is at a full-day transition workshop, where the 22 Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and 14 Victorian Government representatives that make up Ngaweeyan Marr-oo are agreeing to next steps for the Closing the Gap decision-making forum.

We've engaged facilitators to help us build consensus and clarity, and are focused on making sure efforts to both Close the Gap and build Aboriginal self-determination through Gellung Warl's representative and accountability functions complement one another.

It's connecting the dots, building on shared strength, and working together for efficiencies and good outcomes – exactly the way we like to operate. ... See MoreSee Less

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

5 days ago

We’ve secured an exciting piece of work to help progress Traditional Owner game management!

We’ve been engaged by the Victorian Government’s Department of Jobs, Skills, Industries and Regions on a two-part project relating to the Traditional Owner Game Management Strategy.

First, we’ll review how the implementation of that strategy’s going, and prepare a report with analysis and actions.

Then, from mid-November, we’ll start work as the secretariat to a co-governance group overseeing that strategy’s implementation through a forum that matches the needs of Traditional Owners.

Together, these pieces of work support the role of Traditional Owners in holistically caring for Country, opens the door to economic opportunities on Country, and embeds the cultural practices of Traditional Owners articulated in their strategy and practises for thousands of years.

We cant wait to get started.

We’ve secured an exciting piece of work to help progress Traditional Owner game management!

We’ve been engaged by the Victorian Government’s Department of Jobs, Skills, Industries and Regions on a two-part project relating to the Traditional Owner Game Management Strategy.

First, we’ll review how the implementation of that strategy’s going, and prepare a report with analysis and actions.

Then, from mid-November, we’ll start work as the secretariat to a co-governance group overseeing that strategy’s implementation through a forum that matches the needs of Traditional Owners.

Together, these pieces of work support the role of Traditional Owners in holistically caring for Country, opens the door to economic opportunities on Country, and embeds the cultural practices of Traditional Owners articulated in their strategy and practises for thousands of years.

We can't wait to get started. ... See MoreSee Less

© 2026 Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations