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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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Learn how to leverage the economic opportunities for First Nations in renewables at next weeks free webinar.

Our friends at First Nations Clean Energy Network are hosting a webinar to step Traditional Owners and industry through a dedicated allocation for mob in renewables benefit-sharing.

📆 24 June 2026
🕒 12:30pm – 1:15pm AEST
📍 online
❓events@firstnationscleanenergy.org.au

Well be there, and hope to see you, too.

Learn how to leverage the economic opportunities for First Nations in renewables at next week's free webinar.

Our friends at First Nations Clean Energy Network are hosting a webinar to step Traditional Owners and industry through a dedicated allocation for mob in renewables benefit-sharing.

📆 24 June 2026
🕒 12:30pm – 1:15pm AEST
📍 online
[email protected]

We'll be there, and hope to see you, too.
... See MoreSee Less

Victoria is just minutes away from approving the plan guiding how itll Close the Gap. 

Months of dedicated work and careful feedback are culminating in todays Closing the Gap Partnership Forum – a space for accountability and shared decision-making between ACCOs and the Victorian Government.

Were an elected member of the Partnership Forum, representing two key areas: land and waters, and economic development and employment. Were also the co-chair of its Koorie Caucus, Ngaweeyan Maar-oo. And – most importantly! – were proud to raise Traditional Owners rights and interests among the important community-controlled services that support Traditional Owner communities.

Congratulations to everyone whose hard work got us to todays meeting, and to the starting line of the new Closing the Gap Implementation Plan. Its a clear plan for how the state can support mobs self-determined priorities for better health, wellbeing, and prosperity – for generations to come.

Victoria is just minutes away from approving the plan guiding how it'll Close the Gap.

Months of dedicated work and careful feedback are culminating in today's Closing the Gap Partnership Forum – a space for accountability and shared decision-making between ACCOs and the Victorian Government.

We're an elected member of the Partnership Forum, representing two key areas: land and waters, and economic development and employment. We're also the co-chair of its Koorie Caucus, Ngaweeyan Maar-oo. And – most importantly! – we're proud to raise Traditional Owners' rights and interests among the important community-controlled services that support Traditional Owner communities.

Congratulations to everyone whose hard work got us to today's meeting, and to the starting line of the new Closing the Gap Implementation Plan. It's a clear plan for how the state can support mob's self-determined priorities for better health, wellbeing, and prosperity – for generations to come.
... See MoreSee Less

A year ago today: the final leg of the Walk for Truth.

The Federations team was proud to join Travis Lovett for the final steps of a 25-day, 500 kilometre journey for truth, justice, and structural change.

More than 20,000 people joined Travis historic walk, which commenced in Portland, where the colonisation of Victoria began, and ended on the steps of Parliament House: the place where a different future can be created.

This anniversary is a reminder that progress is not guaranteed, and we must keep fighting for justice.

The past year saw both the historic achievement of Victorias Statewide Treaty, and unrelenting and dangerous attacks on Aboriginal communities nation-wide.

The Invasion Day terror attack against mob in Perth. The Anzac Day white supremacists booing Elders. The conservative media dog-whistling to readers as the Victorian state election looms. The racist comments we delete every day from beneath posts like this one.

Truth might be uncomfortable for some, but its the pathway to healing; to change. To a better future for everyone.

A year ago today: the final leg of the Walk for Truth.

The Federation's team was proud to join Travis Lovett for the final steps of a 25-day, 500 kilometre journey for truth, justice, and structural change.

More than 20,000 people joined Travis' historic walk, which commenced in Portland, where the colonisation of Victoria began, and ended on the steps of Parliament House: the place where a different future can be created.

This anniversary is a reminder that progress is not guaranteed, and we must keep fighting for justice.

The past year saw both the historic achievement of Victoria's Statewide Treaty, and unrelenting and dangerous attacks on Aboriginal communities nation-wide.

The Invasion Day terror attack against mob in Perth. The Anzac Day white supremacists booing Elders. The conservative media dog-whistling to readers as the Victorian state election looms. The racist comments we delete every day from beneath posts like this one.

Truth might be uncomfortable for some, but it's the pathway to healing; to change. To a better future for everyone.
... See MoreSee Less

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