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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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Happy Tuesday! Heres what some of our teams up to this week.

📧 Daniel’s lining up speakers for the Traditional Owner Treaty Forum we’re co-convening at the end of this month (the invitation’s in your CEO’s inbox!).
 
✍🏼 Sophie’s drafting our monthly newsletter – if you work for a TOC and have news, a job, or a story to share, please send it our way.
 
💎 The next TOC Caucus meeting is a fortnight away, and we’re busily preparing papers: expect information on a partnership and decision-making model, the financial support Resources Victoria will give Traditional Owner groups to participate in critical minerals mining, and a portal we’re proposing to streamline the Caucus’ information-sharing, plus more.
 
🔥 It’s Cultural Fire Leadership Group meeting time, and Lisa and Kurt are ready for tomorrow’s full session – agenda highlights include our analysis of funding opportunities for cultural fire, the draft terms of reference for a proposed policy working group with DEECA, and a strategic risk assessment from DEECA under the EPBC Act.
 
📚 Steph’s finalised a draft report of feedback and key recommendations from the cultural heritage management system workshop we convened last month, which has been circulated to TOCs for review and invitation to comment before submission to First Peoples – State Relations.
 
🔑 Ken’s dotting the Is and crossing the Ts of our office move – we have stands for our laptops and lanyards for our new keys, and the unnamed staff member who got lost in the building this morning now understands the way out. 
 
🌞 And our lovely HR manager Riette was in today, for a run-through of our psychosocial hazard log and a quick game of Timeguessr before lunch in the sun.

Happy Tuesday! Here's what some of our team's up to this week.

📧 Daniel’s lining up speakers for the Traditional Owner Treaty Forum we’re co-convening at the end of this month (the invitation’s in your CEO’s inbox!).

✍🏼 Sophie’s drafting our monthly newsletter – if you work for a TOC and have news, a job, or a story to share, please send it our way.

💎 The next TOC Caucus meeting is a fortnight away, and we’re busily preparing papers: expect information on a partnership and decision-making model, the financial support Resources Victoria will give Traditional Owner groups to participate in critical minerals mining, and a portal we’re proposing to streamline the Caucus’ information-sharing, plus more.

🔥 It’s Cultural Fire Leadership Group meeting time, and Lisa and Kurt are ready for tomorrow’s full session – agenda highlights include our analysis of funding opportunities for cultural fire, the draft terms of reference for a proposed policy working group with DEECA, and a strategic risk assessment from DEECA under the EPBC Act.

📚 Steph’s finalised a draft report of feedback and key recommendations from the cultural heritage management system workshop we convened last month, which has been circulated to TOCs for review and invitation to comment before submission to First Peoples – State Relations.

🔑 Ken’s dotting the Is and crossing the Ts of our office move – we have stands for our laptops and lanyards for our new keys, and the unnamed staff member who got lost in the building this morning now understands the way out.

🌞 And our lovely HR manager Riette was in today, for a run-through of our psychosocial hazard log and a quick game of Timeguessr before lunch in the sun.
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Having a job is really important for addressing individual disadvantage, but one job alone won’t break a cycle of inequality.

Instead, we need big, bold, system-level action.

Introducing: the First Nations economy.

The engine room for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prosperity in this country. 

Read more 👉🏾 bit.ly/3y03FIj

Having a job is really important for addressing individual disadvantage, but one job alone won’t break a cycle of inequality.

Instead, we need big, bold, system-level action.

Introducing: the First Nations economy.

The engine room for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prosperity in this country.

Read more 👉🏾 bit.ly/3y03FIj
... See MoreSee Less

Photos from Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations's post ... See MoreSee Less

Tell Victoria’s environmental regulator how Country should be cared for in a two-day forum for Traditional Owners. 

The Environment Protection Authority Victoria is the state agency responsible for protecting against harm caused by pollution. Established in 1971, it’s one of the world’s oldest environmental regulators – but, of course, those 55 years are a drop in the ocean of Traditional Owners’ experience protecting Country. This opportunity for knowledge-sharing and collaboration is a long time coming, and very welcome.

The EPA will cover accommodation and catering costs, and its focus includes:

🟡 Traditional Owners telling EPA’s leadership about their priorities for protecting Country
🟡 Feedback on a policy guiding how the EPA incorporates cultural values into its work
🟡 Knowledge-exchange between Traditional Owners and the EPA

Registrations close today. More information 👉🏾 bit.ly/3PjBmMZ

Tell Victoria’s environmental regulator how Country should be cared for in a two-day forum for Traditional Owners.

The Environment Protection Authority Victoria is the state agency responsible for protecting against harm caused by pollution. Established in 1971, it’s one of the world’s oldest environmental regulators – but, of course, those 55 years are a drop in the ocean of Traditional Owners’ experience protecting Country. This opportunity for knowledge-sharing and collaboration is a long time coming, and very welcome.

The EPA will cover accommodation and catering costs, and its focus includes:

🟡 Traditional Owners telling EPA’s leadership about their priorities for protecting Country
🟡 Feedback on a policy guiding how the EPA incorporates cultural values into its work
🟡 Knowledge-exchange between Traditional Owners and the EPA

Registrations close today. More information 👉🏾 bit.ly/3PjBmMZ
... See MoreSee Less

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