Statewide Treaty
is almost here

Hi friends!

We’re the Co-chairs of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria and this past year has been our biggest one to date! Whether you’ve been a part of this journey since the start, or just got on board, there is a lot to update you on.  

We’re proud to deliver this report on all the activities and progress that has been made and provide an update on what’s to come on the journey to Treaty in Victoria.  

In this last year, for the first time ever in this country, Treaty negotiations began between the Assembly and the State, with a ceremonial opening on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country in November 2024.  

For over six years we’ve been collecting ideas from the Community. And now we’re presenting them to Government and putting those ideas to action to get Treaty done. 

It’s an exciting time, being in a position to sit down with Government and begin to enact real change for our Community. But as you can imagine, it is a huge body of work — and we have been taking it one step at a time. 

Some of the key early discussions centred around transferring decision making powers about First Peoples into the hands of First Peoples, creating a mechanism for ongoing Truth-telling, and establishing an ongoing democratic body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria.

We also want to make sure there is accountability built into Treaty, to ensure promises are kept.

Coinciding with that, Traditional Owner groups have also made progress in establishing the pathways for their own Traditional Owner Treaties, which will reflect place based needs and aspirations. We’ve seen funding distributed through the Self-Determination Fund to assist these groups in progressing and organising themselves in their journey to Treaty too.

Throughout this report you’ll be able to learn about some of the things we’ve been negotiating, but we also want to reiterate that Treaty is a living, breathing document, and this is just the first of what’s to come.

We will always be seeking input from Community to understand the needs, wants and desires of our people, and how Treaty can make them a reality.

Since the Assembly was created in 2019, we’ve heard from tens of thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People from every corner of the state.

It has been a huge culmination of six years of work by the Assembly, and many decades more by our Communities across Victoria before us. 

We’ve made immense progress but are always conscious of the large body of work that is still yet to be done.

While we’re proud of all the work we’ve been doing, we are always looking to strengthen our position and get as many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Victoria on board.

Whether you’re a young person, an Elder, or somewhere in between, we encourage all of you to get enrolled and be part of Treaty.

We will have a significant Treaty Election coming up in the first half of 2026, and if you want to put yourself forward, or cast your vote on who you want to see on the Assembly, make sure you get enrolled now. It doesn’t matter if your contribution is big or small, everything is valued.

Treaty must reflect the staunch voices and trailblazers of our Community, past and present, and deliver real outcomes. We keep this in the front of our mind always, and will continue to do so as we negotiate Treaty. 

Wurruk — Rueben Berg

Booyen — Ngarra Murray