Today’s commencement of statewide Treaty negotiations is an historic moment to reset the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the state of Victoria, restore respect, and more meaningfully recognise the inherent rights First Nations peoples have long fought for, says the state-wide body that advocates for the rights and interests of Victorian Traditional Owner groups. Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations CEO, Paul Paton, hailed the commencement of negotiations for a statewide Treaty between the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria and the Victorian Government as an opportunity for systemic change that will improve Aboriginal peoples’ life outcomes. “This is an historic moment in Victoria’s story and represents the start of the first fair Treaty in this state’s history,” says Mr Paton. “For the first time, big structural change that can help redress the harmful impacts of colonisation will be available to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Victoria – which will enable us to make decisions about our communities and the issues that affect us.” First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria is a democratically elected community body that will negotiate a statewide Treaty with the Victorian Government on topics that include recognising historic wrongs, making…

The Victorian Government must commit to joint decision-making with Traditional Owners for culturally significant species following its decision to allow the continued killing of dingoes across north-east Victoria.

The Victorian Government must protect dingoes state-wide and recognise them as a culturally significant native species for which Traditional Owner groups must make decisions, says the state-wide body that advocates for the rights and interests of Victorian Traditional Owner groups.

The Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations welcomes the formal recognition of Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation as Victoria’s twelfth Registered Aboriginal Party as an important step towards upholding and activating Traditional Owner groups’ inherent collective rights.

The Victorian opposition leader’s incorrect claim that cultural heritage approval processes impede development are racist, baseless, and utterly unacceptable.

The Federal Government’s $14.6 million commitment to 12 new areas of land managed by Traditional Owner groups is a positive step towards increased Indigenous Protected Areas spanning south-eastern Australia – which are possible despite extensive freehold title in Victoria.

Traditional Owner groups whose stolen land was irreversibly damaged and commodified by the state’s native timber logging must now receive compensation and lead decision-making about the future use of their Country.

Dedicated funding for Traditional Owner groups in today’s education reforms is a genuine and welcome recognition of their rights and authority.

The Victorian Government is on notice to allow the buying back – and immediate handing over to Traditional Owners – of water entitlements in the Murray-Darling Basin.

  If governments want to close the gap in First Nations life outcomes and see their Budget commitments to Aboriginal communities be truly effective, they must fundamentally reconceive of the way they work with Traditional Owners: respecting and resourcing their self-determined governance structures, says the state-wide body that advocates for the rights and interests of Victorian Traditional Owner groups. The Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations welcomes the recent Victorian and Federal Budgets’ funding commitments to Aboriginal communities, but CEO Paul Paton says a genuine commitment to improving outcomes for First Nations peoples involves resourcing Traditional Owner Corporations. “Building a better future requires governments to restore our stolen capacity to lead and make decisions for Country. Fundamentally, this involves governments recognising Traditional Owners as rights-holders on Country – not mere stakeholders to consult or a box to tick, but authorities to adequately resource and work alongside in genuine partnership. Only then can our collective right to self-determination be realised.” The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples enshrines the collective right of First Nations people to self-determination and self-government in exercising this right which, in Victoria, is expressed principally through Traditional Owner Corporation structures. Mr Paton says that…