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…

Ending disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples needs land rights, economic justice, and cultural authority – but the communities best-placed to lead change are being locked out of the economies emerging on their own Country, while the Commonwealth Government put all its eggs in the Closing the Gap basket, says our latest media release.

Mandatory agreement-making in emerging economies – like the billion-dollar business of data centres – is Traditional Owners’ minimum expectation for AI investment in Australia, says the Federation’s latest media release.

The statewide body for Victorian Traditional Owners has welcomed the appointment of former DEECA secretary John Bradley as the inaugural CEO of the new national environment regulator.