The First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria — the democratically elected body leading the state's Treaty process — and the Victorian Government have shared an update on the latest round of negotiations.
The negotiations, held on Dja Dja Wurrung Country in Bendigo, were opened with a ceremony attended by Premier Jacinta Allan and Assembly Co-Chairs Rueben Berg and Ngarra Murray.
"Treaty is about making sure Aboriginal communities right across this State always have the ability to come up with and deliver practical solutions at their local level," Ms Murray, a Dja Dja Wurrung, Wamba Wamba, Yorta Yorta and Dhudhuroa woman, said before discussions began.
"That's why we've been holding negotiations across Victoria, so we can bring Communities into these big conversations and make sure they are grounded in local knowledge."
A joint statement released after the meeting said the negotiations have progressed on how an ongoing role for the Assembly would "ensure First Peoples can make decisions on matters that impact their futures and play an ongoing role in truth-telling, including capturing stories from across Victoria and retaining an archive of this information".
According to the statement, the ongoing body would also "advocate for First Nations communities, provide advice, work on building community leadership capability and work with the Victorian Government to close the gap between First Peoples and other Victorians".
The role of the Yoorrook Justice Commission — the nation's first formal truth-telling body — was also a central topic.
The Commission is expected to deliver its final report in the coming weeks, with its work and public record labelled a "valuable resource for teachers to use when educating students about Victoria's history".
"Treaty is a pathway to acknowledging the past and making real, practical change to achieve better outcomes for Aboriginal Victorians," the joint statement said.
"Since Treaty negotiations began, more than 700 local government, community and multicultural leaders have been engaged in Treaty Forums across Victoria."
The latest round of negotiations follows an announcement last month from DJAARA (the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation), acting on behalf of the Dja Dja Wurrung People (Djaara), that it intends to become the first Traditional Owner group to negotiate a Traditional Owner Treaty with the Victorian Government.
Although priorities among negotiating groups have sometimes differed, the Victorian Government has reiterated its commitment to the process.
Nonetheless, some community members have previously expressed frustration at what they see as a disconnect between the government's support for Treaty, and the implementation of certain policies that risk worsening Indigenous disadvantage — potentially undermining the goals of the Closing the Gap agreement.
For the first time, the state has suggested a timeline for a statewide Treaty, telling the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee earlier this month that it hopes to finalise one by June 2026.
Budget papers show 58 rounds of negotiations were held in the past year, with 45 more scheduled for 2025–26.
Minister for Treaty and First Peoples Natalie Hutchins said last month: "If you listen to the people directly affected by policies, you get better outcomes — that's commonsense — and Traditional Owner groups are experts in their communities, languages, cultures and caring for Country... Treaty is about making a better and fairer state for every Victorian."
