The Victorian Aboriginal and Local Government Strategy is an important resource for Victorian local government councils. The Federation provided critical advice to the development of the Strategy through participation on the Aboriginal Steering Committee, testing the strategy through key forums and signalling the need for a stronger focus on Traditional Owners and their representative structures and advocating for resourcing to support its implementation.

The strategy as a practical guide for councils across Victoria and will help embed the voices and priorities of Aboriginal communities at a local government level.  Furthermore, the Strategy specifically recognises the roles and functions of Traditional Owners and their representative corporations, particularly recognising their role across regions and recognition under the Local Government Act 2020, which the Federation advocated for in 2018-19.

While recognising that in some regions there are strong and evolving relationships, the Federation is continuing to press for greater systemic accountability, and to recognise the role of Traditional Owner Corporations and strengths-based approaches based on the principles of self-determination to achieve local place-based outcomes for Country and our communities.