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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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“It’s disingenuous, and goes against their word: that the renewable energy transition would happen in the right way.”

Our latest media release puts the Victorian Government on notice for rushing critical minerals mine approvals before introducing promised legislation that would provide for Traditional Owner groups’ involvement in mining on their Country.

Read more 👉🏾 bit.ly/47oo47C

“It’s disingenuous, and goes against their word: that the renewable energy transition would happen in the right way.”

Our latest media release puts the Victorian Government on notice for rushing critical minerals mine approvals before introducing promised legislation that would provide for Traditional Owner groups’ involvement in mining on their Country.

Read more 👉🏾 bit.ly/47oo47C
... See MoreSee Less

12 terrific TOCs and four (pictured!) happy Federation staff.

Today was another meeting of the Traditional Owner Corporation Caucus to the Statewide Caring for Country Partnership Forum – the Forums a partnership and accountability body between Traditional Owner groups and DEECA, and the Caucus is Traditional Owners-only. 

Over the full-day meeting, the Caucus covered a lot of ground. We discussed, progressed, and decided on: reporting, communications, Closing the Gap feedback, critical minerals mining, drought resilience funding, the Wildlife Act review, partnership in water policy, cultural fire funding models, resourcing to meet the consultation burden placed on Traditional Owner Corporations, data sovereignty, learning and development – and we still had time for lunch and a yarn.

Thank you to the 12 Traditional Owner Corporations who make up the Caucus for your insight and commitment, and thank you to Taungurung Land & Waters Councils CEO Matt Burns for chairing todays meeting so beautifully.

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Barengi Gadjin Land Council
Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation
DJAARA
Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation
First People of the Millewa-Mallee Aboriginal Corporation  
GLaWAC
Gunditj Mirring
Taungurung Land & Waters Council
Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation
Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation
Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.
Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation

12 terrific TOCs and four (pictured!) happy Federation staff.

Today was another meeting of the Traditional Owner Corporation Caucus to the Statewide Caring for Country Partnership Forum – the Forum's a partnership and accountability body between Traditional Owner groups and DEECA, and the Caucus is Traditional Owners-only.

Over the full-day meeting, the Caucus covered a lot of ground. We discussed, progressed, and decided on: reporting, communications, Closing the Gap feedback, critical minerals mining, drought resilience funding, the Wildlife Act review, partnership in water policy, cultural fire funding models, resourcing to meet the consultation burden placed on Traditional Owner Corporations, data sovereignty, learning and development – and we still had time for lunch and a yarn.

Thank you to the 12 Traditional Owner Corporations who make up the Caucus for your insight and commitment, and thank you to Taungurung Land & Waters Council's CEO Matt Burns for chairing today's meeting so beautifully.



Barengi Gadjin Land Council
Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation
DJAARA
Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation
First People of the Millewa-Mallee Aboriginal Corporation
GLaWAC
Gunditj Mirring
Taungurung Land & Waters Council
Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation
Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation
Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.
Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation
... See MoreSee Less

All smiles and working hard – here’s what a few of the Federations team are up to this week.

🔥 Lisa’s drafting a project plan for our first project as secretariat to the Cultural Fire Leadership Group – a funding opportunities paper – and preparing to speak to the group’s work at Friday’s TOC Caucus meeting.

🌲 Kurt’s got his eyes on the Future of Forest materials that the Victorian Government just released: the reports of two engagement bodies tasked with considering how 1.8 million hectares of Victorian forest formerly used for native timber logging will best be managed and used into the future.

✍🏽 Sophie’s proof-reading the draft of our annual report, and pulling together content for October’s newsletter (give us a message if you’re a Traditional Owner Corporation staff member or volunteer who wants to be added to our recipient list!). 

📖 Papers went out for todays CEO Forum and Friday’s TOC Caucus meeting, and a few members of our team are preparing to present work to Traditional Owner Corporations at those meetings – including Gabby’s work on the Workforce Development Framework and Steph’s on water policy.

🧾 Nikita and Jill are pulling together final reports and invoices from the organisations that received funding under the Aboriginal Culture and Healing Flood Recovery Grant program (and hearing first-hand how that program is boosting capacity to do similar and even bigger work in the future!).

🤝🏽 Reece is meeting with KordaMentha – the accounting firm tasked with quantifying the burden of work placed on Traditional Owner Corporations (in order to measure minimum-standard resourcing) – to brief them up and get this work on track.

And in this photo wed just come out of another of our regular cross-organisation seminars with our friends at Environmental Justice Australia and First Nations Legal & Research Services, where we each shared information on Traditional Owner Treaties, the new Public Land Act, and environmental consultation processes for offshore petroleum production. Thanks for hosting us, EJA!

All smiles and working hard – here’s what a few of the Federation's team are up to this week.

🔥 Lisa’s drafting a project plan for our first project as secretariat to the Cultural Fire Leadership Group – a funding opportunities paper – and preparing to speak to the group’s work at Friday’s TOC Caucus meeting.

🌲 Kurt’s got his eyes on the Future of Forest materials that the Victorian Government just released: the reports of two engagement bodies tasked with considering how 1.8 million hectares of Victorian forest formerly used for native timber logging will best be managed and used into the future.

✍🏽 Sophie’s proof-reading the draft of our annual report, and pulling together content for October’s newsletter (give us a message if you’re a Traditional Owner Corporation staff member or volunteer who wants to be added to our recipient list!).

📖 Papers went out for today's CEO Forum and Friday’s TOC Caucus meeting, and a few members of our team are preparing to present work to Traditional Owner Corporations at those meetings – including Gabby’s work on the Workforce Development Framework and Steph’s on water policy.

🧾 Nikita and Jill are pulling together final reports and invoices from the organisations that received funding under the Aboriginal Culture and Healing Flood Recovery Grant program (and hearing first-hand how that program is boosting capacity to do similar and even bigger work in the future!).

🤝🏽 Reece is meeting with KordaMentha – the accounting firm tasked with quantifying the burden of work placed on Traditional Owner Corporations (in order to measure minimum-standard resourcing) – to brief them up and get this work on track.

And in this photo we'd just come out of another of our regular cross-organisation seminars with our friends at Environmental Justice Australia and First Nations Legal & Research Services, where we each shared information on Traditional Owner Treaties, the new Public Land Act, and environmental consultation processes for offshore petroleum production. Thanks for hosting us, EJA!
... See MoreSee Less

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