Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation becomes Victoria's 12th official Registered Aboriginal Party

Dechlan Brennan Published August 10, 2024 at 9.00am (AWST)

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Chairperson on behalf of the WWAC Directors, Lowana Moore (left) alongside Wamba Elder Aunty Hazel Atkinson. WWAC becomes the 12th official RAP in Victoria (Image: Luis Ascui/The Age)

The Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation has been officially recognised as Victoria's 12th Registered Aboriginal Party.

The decision comes after the First Peoples' Assembly voted to create a new reserved seat for the Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation (WWAC) in March, the first such time a Traditional Owners body would hold such a title in the Assembly without being first recognised by the state.

This was in turn recognised by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council (Council), who said the appointment of WWAC as a reserved seat in the Assembly of Victoria added "weight to the view that the WWAC is a body representing Traditional Owners within the Decision Area".

The Council said WWAC "asserted a strong historical and contemporary connection to the Country of the Application Area".

"The State's RAP [Registered Aboriginal Party] coverage now sits at 77.5 per cent of Victoria, bringing Council closer to its goal of having RAP representation across the whole State," Council Chair Russell Mullett said.

"The decision provides greater clarity and certainty that the right people can speak on Aboriginal cultural heritage matters within their RAP area."

Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation is a RAP for the Decision Area (Image: Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council)

Not all the of area in the original application was granted RAP status for WWAC, in part due to the competing interests of Wadi Wadi, Wamba Wemba and Barapa Barapa Traditional Owners.

The Council said it couldn't be certain that Wamba Wemba people are the "sole Traditional Owners for the Country that extends into areas with competing Barapa Barapa interests".

"Absent an agreement on boundaries or shared Country with Barapa Barapa Traditional Owners, Council has determined not to register WWAC as a RAP in the Non-RAP Area, which does not appear to be solely Wamba Wemba Country," the council said in their reason for the decision.

In a statement, Chairperson on behalf of the WWAC Directors Lowana Moore, who is also WWAC's Reserved Seat Holder in the Assembly, said she wanted to thank "our Gnerrick Gnerricks for decades of advocating for recognition as the Traditional Owners of our lands and waters".

"Whilst we acknowledge that this is a partially approved RAP and that we still have a way to go, it is also important that we celebrate every win along the way," Ms Moore said.

"The WWAC Board of Directors would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our members for your support, because without you we wouldn't have been able to achieve this important milestone. Let's enjoy the win that belongs to us all!!!"

Mr Mullett said appointing RAPs was one of the Council's highest priorities.

"RAPs are the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage in Victoria and have crucial statutory functions for the protection of the cultural heritage in their appointed areas," he said.

The 'Decision Area', which doesn't overlap with any other current RAP boundaries - nor are there any other current RAP applications over the area - extends from the Murray River to the east of Murraydale, along to a point north of Lake Boga, and then turn south to include both the lake and township.

The area goes south to an unnamed channel to the south of Towaninny North Nature Conservation Reserve, and from there the southern boundary is composed of straight segments heading south west to the eastern limits of Birchip.

It then proceeds north towards Lake Tyrrell before heading east to join the starting point on the Murray, passing through Lake Wahpool, Chillingollah, Pira, Woorinen North, Tyntynder South.