The state government and the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria have been holding regional meetings to continue negotiations for Victoria’s first statewide Treaty.
Premier Jacinta Allan and assembly co-chairs Rueben Berg and Ngarra Murray attended the opening ceremony prior to negotiations on Dja Dja Wurrung country last Wednesday, June 11.
Treaty aims to ensure that First Peoples have a say over the policies that impact them and their families.
Negotiations have progressed on how an ongoing role for the First Peoples’ Assembly will ensure First Peoples can make decisions on matters that impact their futures and play an ongoing role in truth-telling, including capturing stories from across Victoria and retaining an archive of this information.
The ongoing representative body will be able to advocate for First Nations communities, provide advice, work on building community leadership capability and work with the state government to close the gap between First Peoples and other Victorians.
Negotiations have also emphasised the work of the Yoorrook Justice Commission and the importance of ongoing truth-telling across local communities.
Parties discussed the significance of the official public record being created by the Yoorrook Justice Commission, and that this could be a valuable resource for teachers to use when educating students about Victoria’s history.
Since Treaty negotiations began, more than 700 local government, community and multicultural leaders have been engaged in Treaty forums across Victoria.
