Australia’s first Treaty between First Peoples and government will commence before the end of the year after the Victorian upper house passed enabling legislation today.
The Statewide Treaty Bill was supported by Labor, Greens, Animal Justice and Legalise Cannabis MPs in the upper house. The Bill passed the lower house earlier this month.
On behalf of the Assembly, Co-chair and Wamba Wamba, Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung and Dhudhuroa woman Ngarra Murray celebrated the passing of the Treaty legislation through the upper house and thanked the representatives who voted in support.
“This is a historic moment for our people. We will tell our children about today, and they will tell their children, passing down to future generations the story of how decades of Aboriginal resilience and activism led to Australia’s first Treaty,” Ngarra said.
“Treaty marks the beginning of a new era, one where First Peoples’ 60,000 years of knowledge and culture is respected and celebrated. It’s an opportunity for all Victorians to acknowledge our shared history, heal and move forward together.”
Assembly Co-Chair and Gunditjmara man Rueben Berg said that Treaty recognises that Aboriginal people are the experts on their own lives.
“Through Treaty, we will have the ability to use our expertise to come up with and deliver practical solutions for our local communities, in areas like health, education, housing and justice. This will mean better outcomes for our people as we know what does and doesn’t work for us,” Rueben said.
“This has only been possible thanks to the hard work, advice and support of thousands of First Peoples all across the state. We are grateful to everyone who has walked with us on this journey over the years to get us to Treaty.”
The Statewide Treaty will commence later this year, following a public celebration event scheduled for Friday 12 December.
The First Peoples’ sector is already preparing for the incoming Treaty, with the Assembly organising a series of upcoming forums bringing together frontline service providers, community experts and researchers to focus on achieving practical outcomes through Treaty.
