Two Traditional Owners have been appointed by the Victorian government to the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council.

The announcement by Treaty Minister Natalie Hutchins will see Mr Tya Lovett and Dr Jennifer Mason join the eleven-person Council, which appoints Registered Aboriginal Parties to manage and protect Cultural Heritage on their Country.

"The Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council plays a vital part in the management and protection of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage for all Victorians," Minister Hutchins said.

"I look forward to working with the new Council members."

Mr Lovett, a Gunditjmara man and senior educator at La Trobe University delivering cultural management training to First Peoples, grew up in Budja Budja (Halls Gap) Gariwerd (Grampians National Park) and has strong connections to Country.

He is passionate about sharing knowledge to help identify, manage, and protect cultural landscapes and ancient Aboriginal places, ancestral remains and sacred objects for all Victorians.

Dr Mason is a Wamba Wemba and Dhudhuroa woman and academic researcher at the Australian National University. She previously served as Director and Deputy Chair of the Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation (WWAC) Board between 2021 and 2024.

Over her 40-year career, Dr Mason has worked at the intersection of culture, community engagement, and economic development, helping to shape a comprehensive understanding of the issues impacting First Nations heritage in Victoria.

The government also announced two more Traditional Owners had been re-appointed for a second term: Russell Mullett and Elizabeth Allen.

Mr Mullett, a Kurnai man from Gippsland, has also been elected Chair of the council for a second term. He has been involved in the cultural heritage management sector since the 1980s, beginning as a Cultural Research Officer, and he is currently the Registered Aboriginal Party Manager for Gunaikurnai Land & Waters Aboriginal Corporation.

"The Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council will continue to work with Traditional Owners to ensure all parts of Victoria are represented and work hard to return our Ancestors to where they belong – on Country," Mr Mullett said in a statement.

Ms Allen is a Wurundjeri Woiwurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung woman, who as an Aboriginal, has more than 20 years of professional experience with Community, Industry and Government service. Born and raised on Gunaikurnai country, she has extended family connections throughout Gippsland.

All four of the appointees' terms will expire in December 2027.