Open Letter In Support of Treaty for Victoria

This is an open letter in support of Treaty for Victoria sent to key Victorian Ministers and signed by 21 environmental charities, you can see the list of signatories below.

Dear Premier and ministers,

We are proud to stand alongside First Peoples on the journey to Treaty in Victoria. It’s time to accept the truth about how Aboriginal people have been treated, heal injustices, and commit to a fairer society.

We welcome your government’s commitment to uncovering the truth about occupation, through the Truth telling process led by the Yoorrook Justice Commission and the commitment to deliver the first ever Treaty in Australia with First Nations Peoples.

Treaty is about unity and building a better future together. The completion of negotiations between the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria and the government of Victoria is a historic moment for our state, and all of Australia. Calls for Treaty date back decades – and we commend the work of the Assembly and your government in responding to that call.

When it comes to what works for First Peoples’ communities, cultures and lands, the experts are, of course, First Peoples. With profound respect for the sovereignty, culture, and rights of First Peoples, we are proud to walk with the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria on the journey to Treaty.

As organisations that are committed to a healthy environment and a fair, sustainable society, we must play our part in righting the wrongs of the past and creating a better future together. That means accepting the truth about how First Peoples have been, and are, treated while supporting their right to determine their own future. Treaty, and an evolved representative body working alongside Government is the way that the Aboriginal Community in Victoria has chosen to enact this.

Treaty offers us the opportunity to continue to centre stories of strength, support and truth in our work, as outlined in the Yoorrook Justice Commission report. We know that when we listen to First Peoples, nature thrives. We have seen examples of this through work on cultural burning following the devastating bushfires in Victoria in 2019/20, in jointly managed parks and reserves, as well as the need for water justice in the Murray-Darling Basin.

In supporting Treaty, we commit to continuing Yoorrook’s Truth-telling in our work, continuing to centre First People’s voices and aspirations and priorities for the health of Country, honouring 60,000+ years of knowledge, culture and language. We will continue to mobilise our supporters to keep supporting Treaty in communities around Victoria.

The past can’t be changed, but by facing the truth and choosing a better way forward, we can shape a future grounded in justice. This journey must be led by First Peoples, but it’s a journey we all support.