The co-chairs of the Uluru Dialogue say Treaty will become a vital tool for accountability and democratic participation, following the introduction of Victoria’s Treaty Bill to parliament last week.
The legislation, developed through years of negotiation between the Victorian government and the First Peoples’ Assembly — the state’s elected Indigenous body — was welcomed by Traditional Owners as a proud and historic milestone. They say it provides a practical mechanism for First Peoples to make decisions about their own lives.
“After decades upon decades of protest, advocacy, resistance and truth-telling from our ancestors, Elders and community members, we stand at the point where their voices, struggles and vision have carried us,” former Yoorrook Commissioner Travis Lovett said last week.
“Treaty is not just a word. It is justice; it is recognition; it is the next step in healing and creating a shared future built on truth.”