Alice Pepper Chamber Report March 2025
Gunnai, Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta, Mutti Mutti, Arrernte
South East Elected Assembly Member
Assembly Council Member
Youth Voice Convener

Wunman Njinde all, Since the last Assembly Chamber there have been lots happening in the treaty space. I have recently taken up the role full time to fulfill my role and obligation as a member of the assembly. We are moving into exciting times with Treaty negotiations underway since November last year. The second & 3rd rounds of Statewide Treaty Gatherings, Traditional Owner Forums and ACCO Forums held in February this year seen good conversations & engagement from mob across the state. A lot of strategic direction given to shape the way forward. Conversations around Treaty negotiations, inclusiveness and working together. Drawing on the experience and expertise of our ACCO’s TO’s, Peak Bodies & Advocacy Groups having more of a strength-based approach to achieve Statewide treaties as a collective in all aspects that are affecting our people.

Through the frameworks set up through the assembly in Assembly 1.0 we are seeing more TO groups access the Additional Pathway applications to pursue the pathways to traditional owner reserve seats on the assembly and applications being granted through Self Determination Funds to support groups to mobilise and become treaty ready. There is still a lot of work to do but it is exciting to see that we are at this point. We are sitting at the table elevating the voices, the hard work and activism that our elders and old people have done to get us to this point, so I want to acknowledge them as well and everybody on this journey and what you all contribute.

Meetings (attended)

• Assembly Chamber Meeting (1):
• Fortnightly Youth Voice planning meetings (5)
• Assembly Council Meetings including out of session meetings (3)
• Cultural Element Meetings (3)
• Treaty Proposal Workshops (3)
• Treaty Pre-amble Workshop (1)

YURPA & TREATY Committee Meetings (as per attached tables)

Monthly South East Member Meetings (2): South East Assembly members continue to have regular monthly planning meetings with Assembly staff members to strategically plan and implement our South East Engagement Plan.

2 meetings have been held since January Assembly Chamber with other planning meetings taking place for the Treaty Day Out event and also in preparation for the 3rd Assembly chambers to be held on Gunai/Kurnai (Traralgon)Country. The 3-day Assembly will include an opportunity to visit on country to Wulgunggo Ngalu Learning Place followed by a Community Dinner held in Moe.

Treaty Day out Planning Meetings (10+): Treaty Day Out on Gunnai/Kurnai country was a huge success with a record number attending the day even tho the weather was a bit wet that didn’t stop everyone coming out for a huge gathering that was much needed on country. Planning for such a huge event is such a huge job that starts about a year in advance. SE Assembly members worked closely with the Engagement staff who did an amazing job organising the event that was well attended and received by all community that came from far and wide to attend. An increase in enrollments from the region was also a positive that came out of the event as this means we can communicate to more mob in the region with updates about Treaty. Shout out to everybody involved in organising the event from the staff to all the beautiful performers and artists you did an amazing job which is much appreciated by our mobs.

Statewide Engagements

• Treaty Day Out Morwell – Falcons Soccer Club 8th Feb
• Statewide ACCO Forum – Novotel Preston 19th Feb
• Melbourne Art Fair “Arts Culture & Treaty Panel” – Melbourne Exhibition Centre 21st Feb
• Statewide Traditional Owner Forum – Naarm Convention Centre 27th Feb
• Statewide Treaty Forum – MCG Naarm 28th Feb – 1st March

Koori Mail coverage of TDO Morwell

Monthly SE Member Led Engagement Sessions

Taking on board feedback from Elders and Community about being properly informed and transparent with information around negotiations.

Monthly Member led engagement sessions are underway in the South East.

In collaboration and support from local ACCOs in the region, we have coordinated planned monthly Treaty Update Sessions.

This is an opportunity for community and staff to come and get regular updates in person on the current work being undertaken by the Assembly to progress Treaty in Victoria. It’s also an opportunity to ask any questions around Treaty, sign up if not already and help shape the future Treaty forums and community engagement activities/events to further inform and include all our mob in the process towards Treaty.

Collaborating with local ACCOs allows greater reach to their members and promotes us working together to inform the mob.

The dates locked in so far over the next few months are:

(GEGAC) Gippsland & East Gippsland Aboriginal Corporation
37-53 Dalmahoy Street, Bairnsdale

• 11th March
• 8th April
• 6th May
• 10th June
• 8th July NAIDOC Week

(LEAHA) Lakes Entrance Aboriginal Health Association
18-28 Jemmeson Street, Lakes Entrance

• 19th March Treaty update at Community Meeting
• 7th April
• 5th May
• 9th June
• 7th July NAIDOC Week

(LTAT) Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust

• Mon 24th March 12-1pm
• Mon 21st April 12-1pm
• Mon 19th May 12-1pm
• Mon 16 June 12-1pm
• NAIDOC Week

(GLaWAC) GunaiKurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (proposed TBC)

• Tues 22nd April 12-1pm @ Kalimna Office
• Tues 20th May 12-1pm @ Morwell Office
• Tues 17th June 12-1pm @ Kalimna Office
• NAIDOC Week Thursday 10th July – GLaWAC Community Gathering, Knob Reserve

The first of these sessions were kicked off in Bairsdale at GEGAC with 15 people attending in person and online and was great to hear and answer some of the burning questions around all aspects of Treaty and negotiations. The next Bairnsdale session planned for April will have a focus on establishing a Youth Voice for the future. I also attended the LEAHA Community meeting to give updates and promote the future sessions with around 20 staff and community in attendance.

Other Community engagement sessions, workshops and pop up shops that will continue to take place and get picked up throughout our amazing Treaty engagement team based in Morwell and our Deadly SE elected Members Brian, Troy & Peter.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Youth Voice

A bit of an update as the Co-Conveners of the Youth voice with Jordan Edwards, we have been working hard in the last few months with the policy team to finalise the Youth Voice Engagement Plan and Engagement Strategy within it based on the feedback and consultations with young people held around the state last year through regional forums and surveys.

Other focus has been around building on relationships with key Advocacy groups like Koorie Youth Council, ACCO’s and building onto our database of Youth services and organisations across the state. Increasing enrolments of young people which will be integral to the reach of engagement we will be able to achieve moving forward.

Keep an eye out for our visits with young mob across the state as well. We also presented at the statewide treaty Forum around the work done to date and the journey we would like to take with young mob in the future to work towards developing and cementing a youth voice model into the future Treaty representative body

Treaty Delegation

EOI for Treaty Delegation – Aotearoa NZ: I have submitted an “Expression of Interest” along with my Co-Convener to attend an Assembly delegation to Aotearoa NZ an opportunity I see to gain more knowledge around Youth models that been established in other countries to support youth voice within their Treaties.

As part of our delegation, we plan to make Visits to Youth programs, services that have been an outcome of Treaty to be able to enhance the work that we are doing here on our lands in Victoria.

We plan to if possible be able to visit and yarn with young members of parliament and in leadership roles as well to gain more insight on how they are elevating the voices of their people & young people to government through their representative roles and models developed that will enhance our work here in Victoria.

Member update not submitted.

SE planning meetings:

South East members meet regularly on a monthly basis with different treaty staff from different areas to action work that needs to be done around Planning Treaty Regional Gatherings, Communication Strategies and resources, Treaty Yarning Circles, collating Key points & feedback from community & Engagement Strategies.

SE Regional Treaty Gatherings:

were run last June 19th Bairnsdale, June 20th Morwell, June 21st Warragull and the second round of gatherings are due around 10th October before the November Chamber looking at a venue in Sale TBC.

Treaty Yarning Circles:

Facilitated Treaty Yarning Circles with GEGAC Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Staff – Bairnsdale, Ramahyuck Board – Sale & Community. Future Yarning Cirlces that I will be attending will be held in September at Ramahyuck – Morwell, Latrobe Cummunity Link – Morwell & Wonthaggi Community Forum will be a combined Metro Sth East effort.

Youth Voice working Groups:

The Youth Conveners have been having weekly planning meetings with our team to action work that needs to be done around Collation of youth specific information needed to feed into negotiation brief, Planning of youth Forums to be held across the state, Engagement in Statewide Youth events, Youth specific communication strategies, networking and building relationships with key organisations and groups within the youth Space, building youth data base through registrations & Youth Surveys.

Youth Voice Forums:

Bairnsdale youth voice forum May 30th 50+ Youth attended and engaged in cultural activities Treaty Yarns and Activities based around Treaty Negotiations and debates on subject of Indigenous Language being taught in Schools. Currently planning next two regional Forums through youth Voice Working group in the NW area and Metro areas to be delivered in October & November.

Treaty Day Out 2025 Planning Meetings:
Community Engagement: planning meetings with Engagement Manager and SE Members for Treaty Day out 2025 planned for the Gippsland Region March 2025.
Other Meetings & Events June – Sept:
FPAV Chamber meeting Portland 26th – 28th June, Swan Hill 4th – 6th September
FPAV Council Meetings: 7
Workstreams: Inherent Rights 2 , Future Assembly 4
Committee Meetings: Self Determination Fund 0, Yurpa 4, Treaty 4, Youth Voice Working Group Meetings 2
Youth Voice Structure Meetings: 4
SE Planning Meetings: 3
Treaty Authority Launch event: 17th July
Meet & Greet Karen Diver Senior Advisor to the president for Native American Affairs University of Minnesota Duluth: 8th August
Open Yarn with Maori Leaders from Aotearoa Kelvin Davis & Te Rau Kupenga building relationships in support for our Treaty: 9th August
Statewide ACCO Sector Treaty Forum, realizing our collective Power discussions: 26th August
Treaty & Truth Parliamentary Lunch, key speakers Premier Jacinta Allen, FPAV, Yoorook Justice Commission, Treaty Authority: 27th August

Member update not submitted.

Member update not submitted.