Victoria's independent Treaty umpire says the final report from the Yoorrook Justice Commission marks a crucial moment in reckoning with the "true past" of First Peoples.
Last week, the Yoorrook Justice Commission — Australia's first formal truth-telling body — delivered its final report, which calls on the state government to consider broad redress measures including land restitution, financial compensation, tax relief, and other forms of benefit.
Alongside the final report, which featured 100 recommendations in total, the Commission released 'Yoorrook Truth Be Told', a public record documenting Victoria's history since colonisation and the major milestones of the Commission's four-year inquiry.
Under Victoria's Treaty Negotiation Framework, the ongoing negotiations between the state and the First Peoples' Assembly must be guided by the Commission's findings and recommendations.
The Treaty Authority — an independent umpire overseeing negotiations — described the release as a "powerful moment in Victoria's history." Treaty Authority Chair and Djab Wurrung man, Jidah Clark, paid tribute to the Yoorrook Commissioners, led by Chair Professor Eleanor Bourke AM.
"Importantly, we honour all the witnesses who told their truths," Mr Clark said.
"They have set the record straight and empowered all Victorians to move forward with a shared understanding of our history."
Established in 2021 with the powers of a royal commission, Yoorrook based its recommendations on an extensive evidence base: 67 days of hearings, testimony from over 200 witnesses, engagement with more than 2,000 people (including 1,500 First Peoples), over 1,300 written submissions, consultation with 9,000 individuals, nearly 10,000 state documents reviewed, and participation in more than 400 community events.
In her foreword to the report, Professor Bourke wrote: "Our lands were taken, and with them, something deeper: the essence of culture, and the ability to continue traditional practices and maintain identity.
"Death, violence, disease, dispossession and government control changed the landscape."
Premier Jacinta Allan — the first political leader in the country to appear before a truth-telling body — has previously expressed her willingness to deliver a formal apology on behalf of the state.
Last week, she urged Victorians to read what she described as an "incredibly powerful document".
"The recommendations and indeed the findings, I do acknowledge they are incredibly challenging. They are challenging because they tell the truth. They tell the truth about how our state was colonised. That does make for some tough reading," she said.
Biripi woman and Treaty Authority member Duean White emphasised that truth-telling is essential to any genuine reconciliation or negotiation process.
"The recommendations from Yoorrook hold solutions for systemic change and lasting reforms to laws, institutions and public systems," she said.
"The Treaty Authority looks forward to working with all parties who may turn the truths heard at the Yoorrook Justice Commission into actions in the Treaty process.
"Truth and Treaty go hand-in-hand."
The First Peoples' Assembly has committed to prioritising the implementation of Yoorrook's recommendations as part of the Statewide Treaty. Last week, the government confirmed it will introduce legislation to enshrine the Assembly as a permanent representative body; one of the Commission's key recommendations.
In a joint statement released Friday, the government and the Assembly said the proposed body "will sit within our existing parliamentary and democratic structures".
"Victoria's Statewide Treaty Bill is proposed to give the Assembly decision-making powers to make sure First Peoples' communities can design and deliver practical solutions for their communities," the statement said.
They also acknowledged the significance of the Commission's findings: "The Victorian Government and the First Peoples' Assembly recognise the delivery and tabling of the Yoorrook Justice Commission's final interim report, Yoorrook for Transformation, and final report, Truth be Told. The work of the Commission will have a significant impact on Victoria, helping all Victorians to understand our history by bringing to light the truth of First Peoples since the beginning of colonisation."
