Before colonisation, First Peoples sustainably cared for every landscape in Victoria. Yet today, they hold meaningful authority over less than 0.5% of the state’s landmass. Treaty is a historic opportunity to change this – and in doing so create a more just, fair and sustainable future for Victoria.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have cared for the land, waters, sky, plants and animals of this continent since time immemorial. Their knowledge systems are grounded in a deep, reciprocal relationship with Country.
But when colonisation of what we now call Victoria began in the 1830s, First Peoples were violently pushed off their lands. Country was stolen, sacred sites were destroyed, and people were forced onto reserves and missions. Cultural practices – like firestick farming – were criminalised, and vast tracts of land were cleared for farming and development.
Environmental degradation, the extinction of animals, and more frequent disasters like bushfires and floods are the legacy of this disruption to Indigenous land stewardship. Restoring First Peoples’ authority over land and waters is not only a matter of justice; it’s vital for healing both Country and community.
The Yoorrook Justice Commission (Victoria’s formal truth-telling process, and the first of its kind in Australia) heard that the current systems to recognise First Peoples’ land and cultural rights are fragmented, insufficient, and often tokenistic.
Learn more about the Land, Sky and Water hearings
The state of Victoria still holds over 8.8 million hectares of public land, but of the 1.26 million hectares promised for return, only around 59,000 have been handed back to date. Treaty offers a way to change this – to return land, restore cultural authority, and heal both people and Country.
There are already many positive examples of First Peoples leading land and sea management. One is the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape on Gunditjmara Country, which was recognised as a World Heritage site in 2019.
For more than 6,000 years, the Gunditjmara engineered a sophisticated network of channels, dams and weirs to manage floodwaters and sustainably harvest eels and fish.
This way of life was almost destroyed in 1834, when colonisers violently forced the Gunditjmara people from their land. In 2022, the Victorian Government returned 2.5 gigalitres of water to support cultural flows and ecological restoration. The return of Country has been vital for both conservation and the cultural wellbeing of the Gunditjmara people.
Further north, the Barengi Gadjin Land Council’s rehabilitation of the Ranch Billabong in Dimboola has boosted water quality, curbed invasive species, and brought native plants and wildlife back to the area. This is a place of deep cultural significance for the Wotjobaluk People, whose connection to the land was formally recognised in 2005 through their native title agreement.
When Traditional Owners have a say over what happens on their Country, everyone benefits. Treaty can help make that the norm, not the exception. By listening to those who have always known how to care for this place, Victoria can begin to repair past harm and build a fairer, more sustainable future for us all.
Read our explainer on what Treaty means and why it matters
Header image credit: Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation