The Federation’s submission to the consultation on the forthcoming National Statement on First Nations in Agriculture.

Our contribution to policy thinking around a potential ban on the sale of fur in Victoria highlights how proposed policy inadvertently sidelines Traditional Owner groups’ rights and interests.

The Federation’s submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission’s Review of the Future Acts Regime.

The Federation’s submission to the Independent Review of Victoria’s Wildlife Act 1975 offered practical ways Traditional Owners’ rights and worldviews could be respected by and integrated into a reformed wildlife conservation law.

Planning towns and suburbs is a significant opportunity for Traditional Owner groups to be involved in decision-making for Country, but a substantial risk their rights and interests will be ignored. The Federation contributed a written submission on the first pillar of the 25-year Plan for Victoria framework, which envisages a state that centres self-determination and care for Country in its planning decision-making. Our submission focused on Traditional Owners’ rights – we said the plan is an opportunity to be visionary in realising the collective right to self-determination, end damaging practices that impinge on and undermine collective rights, centre cultural obligations to Country, and fully recognise Traditional Owner Corporations’ rights and authority by providing for power-sharing partnership (in just six pages, too!). Read the submission

The Federation welcomed the opportunity to contribute a submission to the Truth and Justice Commission Bill, which would create a national truth-telling mechanism as called for by the Uluru Statement from the Heart. In response to the Joint Standing Committee’s request to hear how the Commission could be culturally safe, our submission urged a future Commission to Commission to seek cultural and community authority (including through engaging with Traditional Owner Corporations), embed internationally established Indigenous human rights into its design, and take the best parts of Victoria’s Yoorrook Justice Commission to ensure a culturally safe and meaningful truth-telling process. Download the submission Read the testimony

The Federation’s submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications’ offshore wind consultation inquiry.

The Federation welcomed the opportunity to provide further information relating to water entitlement buy-backs in the Murray Darling Basin and urge a focus on Traditional Owner interests and perspectives as this work progresses.

The Federation welcomed the opportunity to share our views and expertise on Traditional Owner economic independence with the Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs.