The Victorian Government’s royalty-sharing election commitment may miss one of regional Victoria’s most important development drivers, if it fails to introduce promised legislation for agreement-making with Traditional Owner communities alongside Royalties for Regions, says the statewide body advocating for Traditional Owner groups’ rights and interests. The Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations calls on the Victorian Government to swiftly introduce promised legislation to enliven an agreed-upon Traditional Owner Benefit-Sharing Model that will facilitate Traditional Owner involvement in agreement-making over the planning, sustainable development of, and equitable benefit-sharing from critical minerals mining on their Country. The call follows the Government’s new election promise to reinvest critical minerals mining royalties into regions. Without explicit mention of a Traditional Owner role in the new scheme, and alongside the delay to the promised legislative reform for agreement-making, the Federation is concerned Royalties for Regions misses the key groups with the potential to reinvigorate regional economies. “Traditional Owner Corporations are regional Victoria’s best-kept secret: economic powerhouses with untapped potential,” said Federation CEO Kaley Nicholson. “They’re some of their regions’ largest and fastest-growing employers, of both Aboriginal people and the wider community. They’re invigorating regional economies, investing millions each year, and preventing brain drain out of…

A new agency tasked with promoting access to public land misses the opportunity to involve Traditional Owners in the management of their Country, and betrays the commitment of Statewide Treaty, says the statewide body advocating for Victorian Traditional Owner groups’ rights and interests. “Outdoor Recreation Victoria is all about getting people into the environment that our Ancestors have managed and cared for over a thousand generations, but its enabling legislation is silent on Traditional Owners’ rights and interests, and that’s a real shame,” said Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations CEO Kaley Nicholson. “It’s a set shot on goal straight into the post: what would have been a straightforward and zero-cost way of returning Traditional Owners to our ancestral role of managing Country and its use. But we’re once again seeing a piece of legislation designed without our input, without our consultation, and without regard for our role as land managers.” The bill creating the new organisation – which merges the fishing and game management authorities – passed parliament today, following successful Nationals amendments in July to centre fishing and hunting special interests in the new agency’s name and land access panel. That panel will advise the newly created Fishing,…

The Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations welcomes today’s announcement of a  landmark Indigenous investment partnership as a critical step towards Traditional Owners’ economic self-determination and intergenerational prosperity. Federation CEO Kaley Nicholson said the relationship between Indigenous Business Australia and the New Zealand iwi Waikato-Tainui, announced today, was an unprecedented opportunity to unlock Indigenous economic potential on both sides of the Tasman. “Traditional Owners have the capability, vision and drive, but are systemically locked out of the capital needed to accelerate independent economic development and provide for our communities,” said Ms Nicholson. “We’ve been calling for increased access to markets, capital and land for a long time, and this commitment to shared investment wealth, infrastructure investment, and project ownership for Victorian Traditional Owners is exactly what’s needed. We see the opportunity to combine the experience and market knowledge of iwi Māori with the unique economic potential emerging in Victoria, boosting economic potential on both sides of the Tasman.” The Traditional Owner Economic Development Roadmap outlined the systemic barriers preventing Traditional Owners of Country in Victoria from participating in the economy – including restricted access to capital, land, markets and decision-making power – and outlined 23 ambitious steps, over three staged…