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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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Australia has set the terms of AI investors social license to operate in Australia – and its silent on the role of Traditional Owners, whose Countrys resources support these billion-dollar enterprises.

Its not good enough. 

Our media statement calls on the Federal Government to legislate mandatory agreement-making between AI giants and Traditional Owners.

Its common in industries where billionaire investors use Countrys resources for profit, but not happening here.

Wed like giants like Anthropic to partner with Traditional Owners because its the right thing to do – but were realists, and we know industry often needs a mandate to come to the table with us.

Mandatory agreement-making is the minimum standard, and its the prime ministers job to make it happen.

Australia has "set the terms" of AI investors' social license to operate in Australia – and it's silent on the role of Traditional Owners, whose Country's resources support these billion-dollar enterprises.

It's not good enough.

Our media statement calls on the Federal Government to legislate mandatory agreement-making between AI giants and Traditional Owners.

It's common in industries where billionaire investors use Country's resources for profit, but not happening here.

We'd like giants like Anthropic to partner with Traditional Owners because it's the right thing to do – but we're realists, and we know industry often needs a mandate to come to the table with us.

Mandatory agreement-making is the minimum standard, and it's the prime minister's job to make it happen.
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Water policy, workforce development, and risk and finance management – here’s what some of our team’s up to this week.

🟡 Steph’s deep in water policy: she’s drafting a submission to the review of the Commonwealth Water Act, and reviewing documents on the Closing the Gap inland water target.

🟡 Gabby jokes that she’s “lost and bereft” after finishing her sections of our Cultural Fire Leadership Group paper on the policy and legislative barriers interrupting cultural fire – but it’s freed her up to progress the proposal for ongoing funding for Nation-building, and presenting to the TOC human resources community of practice on the Workforce Development Framework.

🟡 Sophie’s sending two Nation-building Resource Pool publications to design and drafting the prototype of a new quarterly communique outlining the Federation’s activities to members.

🟡 Dan’s developing a funding proposal to progress the implementation of components the Traditional Owner Economic Development Roadmap –which are building blocks for economically independent, self-determining Traditional Owner Nations. 

🟡 Ben and Ken met with our accountant last week, and our audit’s progressing smoothly! Ben’s refining a couple of our policies after the auditors’ feedback and preparing for a meeting of our Board’s finance and audit risk management committee.

🟡 And Kaley, Ben and Madi are taking the first steps towards our governance review, which is our nothing-off-the-table assessment to make sure the way we run is fit-for-purpose and of greatest use to Traditional Owners – our Board’s governance alliance sub-committee is getting the meeting invitation soon.

Water policy, workforce development, and risk and finance management – here’s what some of our team’s up to this week.

🟡 Steph’s deep in water policy: she’s drafting a submission to the review of the Commonwealth Water Act, and reviewing documents on the Closing the Gap inland water target.

🟡 Gabby jokes that she’s “lost and bereft” after finishing her sections of our Cultural Fire Leadership Group paper on the policy and legislative barriers interrupting cultural fire – but it’s freed her up to progress the proposal for ongoing funding for Nation-building, and presenting to the TOC human resources community of practice on the Workforce Development Framework.

🟡 Sophie’s sending two Nation-building Resource Pool publications to design and drafting the prototype of a new quarterly communique outlining the Federation’s activities to members.

🟡 Dan’s developing a funding proposal to progress the implementation of components the Traditional Owner Economic Development Roadmap –which are building blocks for economically independent, self-determining Traditional Owner Nations.

🟡 Ben and Ken met with our accountant last week, and our audit’s progressing smoothly! Ben’s refining a couple of our policies after the auditors’ feedback and preparing for a meeting of our Board’s finance and audit risk management committee.

🟡 And Kaley, Ben and Madi are taking the first steps towards our governance review, which is our nothing-off-the-table assessment to make sure the way we run is fit-for-purpose and of greatest use to Traditional Owners – our Board’s governance alliance sub-committee is getting the meeting invitation soon.
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Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation is hiring a CEO!

Closing 31 July.

Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation is hiring a CEO!

Closing 31 July.
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The woman behind the Workforce Development Framework – get to know our Gabby.

The woman behind the Workforce Development Framework – get to know our Gabby. ... See MoreSee Less

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