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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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Yesterday was our last Tuesday team meeting for 2025! Here’s what we’ve been up to.
 
📝 Ben’s preparing for tomorrow’s CEO Forum – our sixth and final meeting of the year, which will feature guest presentations from FNLRS, NNTC, and Conservation Collaborators, and with Gabby is finishing off the minutes, actions and acquittals following the TOC Caucus meeting last week. 
 
💻 Gabby, Jill and Kurt have had two excellent evaluation meetings with Traditional Owner Corporations that received funding under the Nation Building Resource Pool grant program – hearing (among other things!) how the funding helped reconnect family groups and make cultural events happen that otherwise wouldn’t have.
 
🔥 Lisa and Kurt have had some great meetings with DEECA and Parks Victoria, on a number of areas relating to cultural fire – including policy reform and making the case for sustainable funding to implement and grow cultural fire practices.
 
👩🏾‍💼 Kaley’s finalising our team structure, pricing, and work processes, so that we’re in the best shape possible for 2026 and beyond.
 
🧾 Ken is still talking about invoices – which are flooding in at this time of the year to wrap things up before the break – but we’re all very excited: he reports we’ve improved our processes this past year, and have more invoices than ever attached to payments!
 
🧪 Sophie (perhaps our worst culprit with forgetting receipts for her expense reimbursements) is writing the year’s last newsletter and supporting two Traditional Owner groups’ nominations to the Prime Minister’s Science Prize.
 
💭 Daniel’s locked to his laptop, with that drought resilience grant administrator application due late last night – but still had time to suggest the team join in a reflective conversation to close our meeting, sharing our highlights of 2025 (some highlights: Walk for Truth, our on-Country floor recovery visits, Resource Pool project meetings, working with the TOC Caucus to develop benefit-sharing models in critical minerals and renewable energy, and, of course, Statewide Treaty).

Yesterday was our last Tuesday team meeting for 2025! Here’s what we’ve been up to.

📝 Ben’s preparing for tomorrow’s CEO Forum – our sixth and final meeting of the year, which will feature guest presentations from FNLRS, NNTC, and Conservation Collaborators, and with Gabby is finishing off the minutes, actions and acquittals following the TOC Caucus meeting last week.

💻 Gabby, Jill and Kurt have had two excellent evaluation meetings with Traditional Owner Corporations that received funding under the Nation Building Resource Pool grant program – hearing (among other things!) how the funding helped reconnect family groups and make cultural events happen that otherwise wouldn’t have.

🔥 Lisa and Kurt have had some great meetings with DEECA and Parks Victoria, on a number of areas relating to cultural fire – including policy reform and making the case for sustainable funding to implement and grow cultural fire practices.

👩🏾‍💼 Kaley’s finalising our team structure, pricing, and work processes, so that we’re in the best shape possible for 2026 and beyond.

🧾 Ken is still talking about invoices – which are flooding in at this time of the year to wrap things up before the break – but we’re all very excited: he reports we’ve improved our processes this past year, and have more invoices than ever attached to payments!

🧪 Sophie (perhaps our worst culprit with forgetting receipts for her expense reimbursements) is writing the year’s last newsletter and supporting two Traditional Owner groups’ nominations to the Prime Minister’s Science Prize.

💭 Daniel’s locked to his laptop, with that drought resilience grant administrator application due late last night – but still had time to suggest the team join in a reflective conversation to close our meeting, sharing our highlights of 2025 (some highlights: Walk for Truth, our on-Country floor recovery visits, Resource Pool project meetings, working with the TOC Caucus to develop benefit-sharing models in critical minerals and renewable energy, and, of course, Statewide Treaty).
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The year's ending, and we're reflecting. ... See MoreSee Less

Treaty is here ✊🏾

Some of our team joined Friday nights Treaty celebration event and described it as a powerful, profoundly moving occasion.

Were so proud to live, work and play in a state with a Treaty, and even more driven than ever to continue fighting for Traditional Owners rights as it becomes time now for Traditional Owner Treaties to progress.

Treaty is here ✊🏾

Some of our team joined Friday night's Treaty celebration event and described it as a powerful, profoundly moving occasion.

We're so proud to live, work and play in a state with a Treaty, and even more driven than ever to continue fighting for Traditional Owners' rights as it becomes time now for Traditional Owner Treaties to progress.
... See MoreSee Less

Agriculture ministers are doing some policy work to figure out what’s needed to improve Aboriginal inclusion in the agriculture sector.

Naturally, we made a submission. And took issue with that word: inclusion.

Only focusing on employing more Aboriginal farmers on sheep stations misses the point.

Wheres the knowledge, experience, and obligations to Country of this continents first farmers? Where the recognition of First Nations as key authorities and leaders, who need better resourcing and linking by policy-makers to get good work done?

And in Victoria: wheres the Aboriginal land for mob to farm?

Instead of inclusion, our submission argues for First Nations’ rights and leadership of agriculture, forestry and fisheries: restoring land rights and reconnecting mob to markets and capital, to power a new First Nations agriculture economy that heals Country, keeps culture strong, and restores economic independence.

Itll be on our website when we see it on Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestrys, and itll be on our minds as we keep fighting for First Nations.

Agriculture ministers are doing some policy work to figure out what’s needed to improve Aboriginal inclusion in the agriculture sector.

Naturally, we made a submission. And took issue with that word: inclusion.

Only focusing on employing more Aboriginal farmers on sheep stations misses the point.

Where's the knowledge, experience, and obligations to Country of this continent's first farmers? Where the recognition of First Nations as key authorities and leaders, who need better resourcing and linking by policy-makers to get good work done?

And in Victoria: where's the Aboriginal land for mob to farm?

Instead of inclusion, our submission argues for First Nations’ rights and leadership of agriculture, forestry and fisheries: restoring land rights and reconnecting mob to markets and capital, to power a new First Nations agriculture economy that heals Country, keeps culture strong, and restores economic independence.

It'll be on our website when we see it on Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry's, and it'll be on our minds as we keep fighting for First Nations.
... See MoreSee Less

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