What is a treaty?

Australia is the only Commonwealth Country to have not entered into treaty processes with the First Peoples of the land.

"A ‘treaty’ is an agreement between states, nations or governments, and can include an agreement between Indigenous peoples and governments. A treaty can contain statements of principle, guidelines for future relationships, reparations for past injustices, and guarantees and promises about Indigenous land, sovereignty and identity. It can combine elements of existing historic and modern treaties, and can talk about the past as well as make commitments for the future." (Treaty Fact Sheet)

Reconciliation Victoria's Position Statement on Treaty and Constitutional Recognition

Reconciliation Victoria supports the calls of the Aboriginal community in Victoria for the long-overdue negotiation of a Treaty, and commends the Victorian Government for its commitment to enter into these discussions. We are excited by these developments.

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It is our understanding that both state-based Treaty discussions and the national constitutional reform agenda can be progressed alongside each other. Both will represent significant milestones in our country’s history, but they must be informed by the diverse voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples if they are to be achieved. 

Please follow this link for our full position statement

 

So, where are things at?

In late February 2016 the Victorian Government committed to advancing self-determination for Aboriginal Victorians by working towards Australia's first treaty with First Nations Peoples.  This commitment was announced on back of the Victorian Open Aboriginal Community Meeting, at which a motion was passed calling for Treaties to be negotiated. Reconciliation Victoria has a summary of this meeting, including our response. 

Premier Daniel Andrew's stated: Victoria’s treaty with Aboriginal Victorians will be the first of its kind in our nation’s history. And Aboriginal people will lead this change."

The Treaty Interim Working Group are currently undertaking a number of community consultations across the state.  The Group is tasked with consulting Aboriginal people in Victoria and advising the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs on the development of treaty and a broader self-determination agenda including a permanent Victorian Aboriginal representative body.

The Working Group reported back at the state-wide forum in Melbourne on December 13, at which Aboriginal Victorians will met to discuss the Group’s work, the outcomes of the 10 state wide community led consultations and the next steps for the Victorian Government. 

At the forum it was announced that the Victorian Government has set a 2 year timeframe to develop a treaty with Traditional Owners. The focus on the forum was the makeup of the representative body that will make representations with government. Having a voice in regards to policy, legal systems, welfare systems were clear aspects of the agenda. There was concern about whether the national move towards Constitutional Reform would delay treaty processes. To hear more from members of the working group listen here and here.

For more information on the group, including community consultation meeting dates, facts sheets and summaries of previous meetings visit Aboriginal Victoria’s "Self-determination for Aboriginal people in Victoria" website and the Terms of Reference  page. 


Visit our Victorian Context tab for more information.

Latest News & Events

News:

"Recent moves by the Victorian and SA governments to enter treaty discussions is an important development that will have flow-on effects in all areas" Read Clinton Benjamin's opinion piece in the Guardian Newspaper titled, 'An Indigenous treaty would create a virtuous circle of self-determination' published on Wednesday February 8 here. 

In December last year we saw both the Referendum Council hold their first forum in Hobart and the final Aboriginal Victoria forum to discuss the issues of Treaty, Sovereignty and Constitutional Reform in Melbourne. The key message from the Referendum Council's forum was, “A discussion of constitutional recognition (can) only take place simultaneously with a proper consideration of treaty,” The Melbourne Forum indicated that direct service provision may be included within the tenants of a treaty.

The Social Justice and Native Title Report has been released for 2016. It discusses treaty progressions in Victoria, and nationally. To read the full report follow this link.

For more news and events please visit our Latest News tab.