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News & Media

Amplifying Traditional Owner voices in the media, raising Traditional Owner concerns through advocacy and celebrating Traditional Owner vision through policy is at the core of our work.

We do this through publications, media and engagement.

Discussion Papers

The development of the Federation’s treaty Discussion Papers was funded by the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) to support Aboriginal Victorians with the transition to treaty.

The Federation released six papers, developed to align with the insights and questions posed during Traditional Owner treaty engagement meetings.

The discussion papers successfully stimulate ideas, discussion and debate about treaty and agreement making in Victoria.

View all Discussion Papers

Annual Reports

The Federation publishes its financial statements detailing the group’s financial performance and that of its subsidiary companies.

The accounts are prepared in accordance with Australian Accounting standards, and as a registered charity, the Federation is subject to regulation by the Australian Charities and Not for Profits Commission.

View all Annual Reports

Media Statements

Clean energy strategy investment respects Traditional Owners as partners and rights-holders (6 December 2024)

Traditional Owner groups welcome recommended reforms for economic self-determination (27 November 2024)

Law reform to power Indigenous economic development a welcome step towards self-determination (26 November 2024)

Traditional Owner groups welcome Treaty negotiations (21 November 2024)

Traditional Owners must be at the heart of managing culturally significant native species (25 September 2024)

Victorian Government must protect and respect native dingoes, say Traditional Owner groups (7 September 2024)

Federation celebrates Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation’s formal recognition (13 August 2024)

Victorian Opposition must end racist blame and get the facts straight on cultural heritage (29 July 2024)

Victorian Traditional Owner groups ready for cultural management of Country through increased IPAs (12 July 2024)

Aboriginal dispossession must wind up with VicForests (30 June 2024)

Traditional Owner groups welcome dedicated education funding as a step towards self-determination (31 May 2024)

Stolen water wealth must be returned to Traditional Owners through Murray-Darling Basin buybacks (20 May 2024)

Governments must restore and respect Traditional Owners’ authority for Budget pledges to be meaningful (15 May 2024)

Historic Bakaru Wayaparrangu agreement will redress past injustice and enable Traditional Owners’ prosperity (14 May 2024)

Victorian Government ministers must follow Yoorrook Justice Commission testimony with action (2 May 2024)

Victorian Government doesn’t fully understand self-determination, Yoorrook Justice Commission hears (17 April 2024)

Victorian Government must commit to Aboriginal-owned water title for Murray-Darling Basin (12 April 2024)

Declaration of the Southern Ocean offshore wind area does not respect Traditional Owner rights and responsibilities for Sea Country (18 March 2024)

Aboriginal Culture and Healing Flood Recovery Grant Program (6 March 2024)

Governments must commit to the work of Closing the Gap (7 February 2024)

View all Media Statements

Strategic Plans

The Federation is the Victorian state-wide body that convenes and advocates for the rights and interests of Traditional Owners while progressing wider social, economic, environmental and cultural objectives.

We support the progress of agreement-making and participation in decision-making to enhance the authority of Traditional Owner Corporations on behalf of their communities. Together, our joint purpose is to facilitate and amplify a strong voice for Traditional Owners and progress our shared interests.

View all Strategic Plans

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All smiles and working hard – here’s what a few of the Federations team are up to this week.

πŸ”₯ Lisa’s drafting a project plan for our first project as secretariat to the Cultural Fire Leadership Group – a funding opportunities paper – and preparing to speak to the group’s work at Friday’s TOC Caucus meeting.

🌲 Kurt’s got his eyes on the Future of Forest materials that the Victorian Government just released: the reports of two engagement bodies tasked with considering how 1.8 million hectares of Victorian forest formerly used for native timber logging will best be managed and used into the future.

✍🏽 Sophie’s proof-reading the draft of our annual report, and pulling together content for October’s newsletter (give us a message if you’re a Traditional Owner Corporation staff member or volunteer who wants to be added to our recipient list!). 

πŸ“– Papers went out for todays CEO Forum and Friday’s TOC Caucus meeting, and a few members of our team are preparing to present work to Traditional Owner Corporations at those meetings – including Gabby’s work on the Workforce Development Framework and Steph’s on water policy.

🧾 Nikita and Jill are pulling together final reports and invoices from the organisations that received funding under the Aboriginal Culture and Healing Flood Recovery Grant program (and hearing first-hand how that program is boosting capacity to do similar and even bigger work in the future!).

🀝🏽 Reece is meeting with KordaMentha – the accounting firm tasked with quantifying the burden of work placed on Traditional Owner Corporations (in order to measure minimum-standard resourcing) – to brief them up and get this work on track.

And in this photo wed just come out of another of our regular cross-organisation seminars with our friends at Environmental Justice Australia and First Nations Legal & Research Services, where we each shared information on Traditional Owner Treaties, the new Public Land Act, and environmental consultation processes for offshore petroleum production. Thanks for hosting us, EJA!

All smiles and working hard – here’s what a few of the Federation's team are up to this week.

πŸ”₯ Lisa’s drafting a project plan for our first project as secretariat to the Cultural Fire Leadership Group – a funding opportunities paper – and preparing to speak to the group’s work at Friday’s TOC Caucus meeting.

🌲 Kurt’s got his eyes on the Future of Forest materials that the Victorian Government just released: the reports of two engagement bodies tasked with considering how 1.8 million hectares of Victorian forest formerly used for native timber logging will best be managed and used into the future.

✍🏽 Sophie’s proof-reading the draft of our annual report, and pulling together content for October’s newsletter (give us a message if you’re a Traditional Owner Corporation staff member or volunteer who wants to be added to our recipient list!).

πŸ“– Papers went out for today's CEO Forum and Friday’s TOC Caucus meeting, and a few members of our team are preparing to present work to Traditional Owner Corporations at those meetings – including Gabby’s work on the Workforce Development Framework and Steph’s on water policy.

🧾 Nikita and Jill are pulling together final reports and invoices from the organisations that received funding under the Aboriginal Culture and Healing Flood Recovery Grant program (and hearing first-hand how that program is boosting capacity to do similar and even bigger work in the future!).

🀝🏽 Reece is meeting with KordaMentha – the accounting firm tasked with quantifying the burden of work placed on Traditional Owner Corporations (in order to measure minimum-standard resourcing) – to brief them up and get this work on track.

And in this photo we'd just come out of another of our regular cross-organisation seminars with our friends at Environmental Justice Australia and First Nations Legal & Research Services, where we each shared information on Traditional Owner Treaties, the new Public Land Act, and environmental consultation processes for offshore petroleum production. Thanks for hosting us, EJA!
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A Traditional Owner-led cultural land management pilot is the welcome beginning of a pathway to shared decision-making and collaborative management focused on created healthy Country for all Victorians.

Thats what Taungurung Land & Waters Council said in their media release, which welcomed the Victorian Governments acceptance of TLaWCs recommendation: to pilot a cultural landscape program on Stone Country (the Strathbogies).

Were excited about this, and thrilled to see the Victorian Government listening to Traditional Owners and backing in cultural landscapes approaches.

The Strathbogies cultural reserve pilot sets a vision for cultural landscape development, creates a collaborative governance body and plan, activates up to two pilot places, and more – in our view, an excellent example of work to embed the Traditional Owner Cultural Landscapes Strategy.

Read the release πŸ‘‰πŸ½ bit.ly/49h1AI2

Learn more about cultural landscapes πŸ‘‰πŸ½ bit.ly/42TRIAd

πŸ“· Granite Creek, NikonGear

A Traditional Owner-led cultural land management pilot is the welcome beginning of a "pathway to shared decision-making and collaborative management" focused on "created healthy Country for all Victorians'.

That's what Taungurung Land & Waters Council said in their media release, which welcomed the Victorian Government's acceptance of TLaWC's recommendation: to pilot a cultural landscape program on Stone Country (the Strathbogies).

We're excited about this, and thrilled to see the Victorian Government listening to Traditional Owners and backing in cultural landscapes approaches.

The Strathbogies cultural reserve pilot sets a vision for cultural landscape development, creates a collaborative governance body and plan, activates up to two pilot places, and more – in our view, an excellent example of work to embed the Traditional Owner Cultural Landscapes Strategy.

Read the release πŸ‘‰πŸ½ bit.ly/49h1AI2

Learn more about cultural landscapes πŸ‘‰πŸ½ bit.ly/42TRIAd

πŸ“· Granite Creek, NikonGear
... See MoreSee Less

Forests about a quarter of Tasmania’s land mass were saved from logging in early 2024. 

Today, the expert panel tasked with advising the Victorian Government on their post-logging use and management arrived.

Learn more here πŸ‘‰πŸΎ bit.ly/4otEK4e

Forests about a quarter of Tasmania’s land mass were saved from logging in early 2024.

Today, the expert panel tasked with advising the Victorian Government on their post-logging use and management arrived.

Learn more here πŸ‘‰πŸΎ bit.ly/4otEK4e
... See MoreSee Less

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