The First Peoples' Assembly — the elected body representing Indigenous people in Victoria — is preparing for its third election and has called for Traditional Owners to nominate.
Having negotiated the country's first Treaty with the Victorian Government, finalised last year, the Assembly's election will open on March 21 and run through April 12, to elect 34 members across its two types of seats: General seats and Reserved seats.
Twenty-two General Seats will be elected by enrolled First Peoples across five voting regions in Victoria: 10 members from the Metro region, and three members each from the North East, North West, South East, and South West regions.
Elected members will sit under Gellung War — meaning "tip of the spear" in Gunaikurnai — forming the new Aboriginal governance structure.
Under this framework, the First Peoples' Assembly, along with a new permanent truth-telling body and an accountability commission, will oversee policies aimed at closing the gap in Victoria.
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Assembly Co-Chair Ngarra Murray called on Traditional Owners of all ages and backgrounds to consider nominating as a candidate.
The Wamba Wamba, Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, and Dhudhuroa woman said "generations of Blak resistance and activism" had secured Treaty last year, with the next generation of leaders needed to "step up and make sure Treaty improves our peoples' lives".
"Our people have built this democracy from the ground up," she said. "Through Treaty, we can now use our local knowledge to come up with and deliver practical solutions for our communities. This means we can get better outcomes because Aboriginal people know what does and doesn't work for us."
All Traditional Owners of Country in Victoria, or First Peoples who are not Victorian Traditional Owners but have lived in Victoria for three of the past five years, are entitled to vote in the elections.
Furthermore, all First Peoples currently incarcerated can also cast a vote.
"When so many of our Elders were denied the right to vote and had decisions about their lives made on their behalf, we all have a responsibility to get involved to make sure Treaty delivers for mob," Ms Murray said.
While all successful candidates will be elected for a four-year term, the Coalition has vowed to abolish the Assembly and tear up Treaty if they win office in November's state elections.
Despite broadly agreeing to the apology delivered to First Peoples in December, the opposition voted against it, citing the mention of Treaty in relation to the gap.
Learn more, nominate to be a candidate or enrol to vote in the Treaty Elections online at treatyelections.org.