Skip to main content
search

Membership

Coming together to share resources, call for change and set policy direction strengthens our commitment.

The Federation was established in 2013 by Traditional Owner Corporations who recognised they could be stronger together in advancing shared interests in policy, economic opportunity, and caring for Country.

Standing together makes our voices louder and our position stronger. Working together begins to roll back some of the imposition of colonisation as we share our Nations’ ambitions.

Membership of the Federation is an essential way to raise our voices over shared concerns and celebrate our communities and achievements.

The work the Federation does to progress the ambitions of Traditional Owners across Victoria, through engagement and advocacy, provides a state-wide perspective. The Federation’s member corporations direct this work, including the policy positions and statutory changes required to move forward real self-determination for Traditional Owner groups.

Our members share their collective visions for self-determination of Country and culture, and the Federation undertakes the work to find government pathways to realise these visions. Without members setting this direction and strengthening the Federation’s collective voice, the work would fall to individual corporations or not be undertaken at all.

As a Victoria-wide collective, the Federation also raises the voices of our member corporations on national and international stages. This provides members with a means of discussing their concerns in broader considerations of First Nations rights and ambitions without having to support their own policy and legal staff. Capacity support and resource-sharing is a central provision of the Federation to our members in the areas of policy and regulatory change.

Federation Board

The Federation Board is made up of representatives from each member Traditional Owner Corporations. The Board is guided by the following principles:
  • In all dealings the Federation will respect the legitimacy, primacy and decision-making authority of the relevant Traditional Owner Corporation for a given area of Country
  • The Federation will strive to ensure that the relevant Traditional Owner Corporation gives informed consent to and benefits from projects on Country
  • The Federation will not duplicate or compete with the functions of its member corporations but rather, in furtherance of its objects, seek to amplify efforts of corporate members and promote mutually beneficial collaboration between them
  • The Federation will not ‘speak for Country’ on behalf of its member corporations
  • In its decision-making, the Board will be guided by the Federation’s strategic pillars and by the objects outlined in its constitution
  • Before making decisions that will impact on member corporations, the Federation Board will ensure directors have sufficient time to canvass views at their home corporation
  • The Federation Board will not operate as a forum for resolving disputes within member corporations

As a representative body the Federation recognises the importance of strong accountability to its members and the need to be transparent and robust in all its endeavours. In this regard the Federation will meet its legal requirements in reporting and accounting standards and adopt good governance practices by:

  • holding annual general meetings and publishing an annual report
  • requiring adequate information and reporting from secretariat staff, delivery agents and service providers to be assured of value, probity and alignment with strategy
  • establishing sub-committees to provide added assurance including the use of external independent members (eg an audit and finance committee).

The Federation Charter, Constitution and Policies can be found here. Following each Board meeting, a communique is published, read them here.