Victoria’s State Parliament has passed Australia’s first formal treaty with Indigenous First Peoples, capping about ten years of negotiations with traditional owners. The law forms part of a policy effort to reduce gaps in health, education and housing and to give First Peoples more say over community projects through an infrastructure fund and three statutory bodies.
The legislation names three main bodies: Gellung Warla, the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria as a permanent representative body; Nyerna Yoorrook Telkuna, a truth‑telling body that will also incorporate truth‑telling into the school curriculum; and Nginma Ngainga Wara, an accountability body. Assembly Co-Chairs Rueben Berg and Ngarra Murray spoke publicly after the vote, saying the treaty recognises that Aboriginal people are experts on their Country, culture and communities and that local knowledge can help deliver practical solutions to improve outcomes.
Responses were sharply divided. Supporters and campaigners greeted the news warmly, with online petitions and posts on platforms such as Mastodon and BlueSky; a Mastodon user, @susan60, joined calls to extend treaty‑making nationally. Opponents argued the law could be racially divisive and pointed to the 2023 Federal Voice referendum, which was rejected after more than 60 percent voted no. Margaret Chambers of the Institute of Public Affairs warned it would “function as a Voice on steroids, creating a separate and parallel parliament based on race” and would become “a two‑tier system based solely on ancestry.” Conservative parties and several federal and state politicians criticised the law; Bridget McKenzie called it “appalling,” David Davis warned it could bring the state to a standstill, and Brad Battin promised to repeal the law if elected in 2026, prompting a petition from the pro‑treaty movement Together for Treaty asking him to back down.
Online debate continued on platforms such as SkyNews Facebook and Reddit, with both supportive and hostile comments. The official Treaty website states the new law will not change the Victorian or Commonwealth Constitution, will not create a third chamber of Parliament, will not change tax laws, and will not provide individual financial reparations. The day after the vote an Indigenous person known as Big T wrote on BlueSky with a note of optimism, saying the signing had not caused the end of the world. The full legislation can be read.
Difficult words
- treaty — formal written agreement between groups or governments
- negotiation — discussion to reach an agreement between partiesnegotiations
- infrastructure — basic public systems and services for communities
- statutory — created or required by a law
- accountability — responsibility to explain or justify actions
- referendum — a public vote on a specific political question
- reparation — payment or action to make amendsreparations
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Discussion questions
- How could a treaty with Indigenous First Peoples affect health, education and housing outcomes in your view? Give reasons.
- What are potential benefits and risks of creating statutory bodies to manage community projects?
- How should politicians respond to strong public disagreement about major laws like this treaty? Give examples of fair approaches.
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