Treaty has landed in Victoria

The State of Victoria and the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria have negotiated a Statewide Treaty. The Statewide Treaty Bill 2025 will give effect to this Treaty.

The path to Treaty

For too long, laws and policies have been made about First Peoples – without First Peoples. Australia’s first formal truth-telling process, the Yoorrook Justice Commission, heard evidence of the historical and ongoing injustices experienced by First Peoples in Victoria.

The work of the Commission helps us understand our history from the perspective of Aboriginal people, how it impacts on their present, and how Treaty can be the pathway to practical changes and solutions.

In Victoria, we have been on the path to Treaty for nearly a decade. We have laid a strong foundation.

Treaty is key to closing the gap so that all Victorians have the same opportunities. When First Peoples lead the way to design policies and solutions, we get better outcomes. Treaty gives us a pathway to change what isn’t working, by ensuring First Peoples can make decisions about issues that impact their communities.

Establishing Gellung Warl, the Statewide Treaty Bill 2025 (the Bill) will establish a new entity Gellung Warl (GullungWarl, from Gunaikurnai language) which evolved from Victoria’s successful First Peoples’ Assembly, with three main parts:

• First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, consisting of democratically elected members, to inform Parliament and the Victorian Government on matters that affect First Peoples, and make decisions about issues that impact First Peoples.
• Nginma Ngainga Wara (Ng-in-ma Ng-eyenga Wa-ra, a Wadi Wadi word), to implement the commitment under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap to establish an independent accountability mechanism and improve outcomes.
• Nyerna Yoorrook Telkuna (Nyern-ah Yoorrook Terl-kun-ah, a Wamba Wemba word), to establish truth-telling in local communities about our history, supporting ongoing education, healing and reconciliation.

Gellung Warl will operate as an ongoing democratic, representative and deliberative body for First Peoples in Victoria. It will lead the renewed relationship with the State created by Treaty. Working with the State, it will use its functions and powers to action Statewide Treaty reforms – the practical outcomes set out in the Statewide Treaty.

While operating independently from government, Gellung Warl is subject to Parliamentary sovereignty. The operations of Gellung Warl will not impact the Parliament’s ability to make laws, and it will not impact the Victorian Government’s ability to govern for all Victorians.

Gellung Warl will have no powers to veto policy or legislation. Gellung Warl will be subject to the same oversight bodies as other independent agencies including VAGO, IBAC and the Ombudsman. 

For more information: treatyvictoria.vic.gov.au •