{"id":151293,"date":"2025-10-23T11:59:21","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T09:59:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/?p=151293"},"modified":"2025-10-23T11:59:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T09:59:23","slug":"victoria-still-the-tip-of-the-spear-of-first-nations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/en\/151293-victoria-still-the-tip-of-the-spear-of-first-nations.html","title":{"rendered":"Victoria, still the \u2018tip of the spear\u2019 of First Nations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In the state of Victoria, the first treaty between an Australian government and First Peoples is on the verge of ratification, after a bill giving effect to the agreement passed the lower house of the parliament last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe government will have to be accountable for its failures, for its errors in judgment, but that will result in things that will work on the ground,\u201d said Nerita Waight, the chief executive of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, while underlining her expectations regarding the accountability mechanism of the treaty agreement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au\/comment\/topic\/2025\/10\/04\/how-victorias-treaty-could-change-australia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">passed last week<\/a> to the Victoria state Parliament, in southeastern Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bill is the culmination of a near-decade long truth and reconciliation process which has most prominently featured the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/en\/124571-against-tide-yoorrook-commission-goes-on.html\">Yoorrook commission<\/a>. It will establish new self-governing bodies with enhanced powers to advise parliament and hold government accountable, while enshrining an ongoing truth-telling process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bill is expected to pass parliament, but it comes at an otherwise <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/en\/140643-retreating-tide-transitional-justice-australia.html\">low-ebb for transitional justice initiatives in Australia<\/a>. After the defeat of the federal Voice to Parliament referendum in October 2023 (which sought to grant special representative rights to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/tag\/indigenous-peoples\">Indigenous peoples<\/a>), many state governments abandoned previous commitments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-source-of-pride-for-all-victorians\">\u201cA source of pride for all Victorians\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the present uncertainty over the long-term prospects of the treaty, participants in the process have hailed its expected progression into law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bill before parliament will pass with the support of the governing Labor Party and the Greens. The conservative Liberal Party does not have the numbers to block the bill, but it has come out strongly in opposition. It argues the Treaty grants excessive power to Indigenous peoples and creates a new level of government. It has pledged to repeal the legislation within 100 days if it wins power at next November\u2019s state election.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jacinta Allan, the Labor Party premier of Victoria, told parliament that the southern state would \u201clead Australia in taking a step closer to righting the wrongs of the past and building a future for all Victorians. The Treaty will be a source of pride for all Victorians. Because this is not about taking anything away from anyone \u2013 it is about practical changes to do things better, together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She criticised the Liberals\u2019 opposition: \u201cTheir first priority is not to build the future \u2026 it is to tear it down \u2013 tear down something that has been worked on for decades.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bill will establish a new overarching body, named <em>Gellung Warl <\/em>in Gunaikurnai language (meaning \u2018tip of the spear\u2019 in English). It will contain a pre-existing elected representative body \u2013 the First People\u2019s Assembly of Victoria \u2013 as well as organisations responsible for truth-telling and accountability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The First People\u2019s Assembly (Assembly), which was established in 2018, played a key role in the treaty negotiations. Co-chair Rueben Berg, in a speech on the floor of Victoria\u2019s parliament, said \u201cthe time for paternalistic governments making decisions on behalf of our people ends with this treaty. No longer will policies be made about us without us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Assembly will be granted powers to address parliament annually on issues affecting First Peoples and to provide input on relevant legislation. Members of parliament introducing certain new bills will be compelled to provide a statement on the extent to which proposed legislation is compatible with the aims of addressing disadvantages brought on by historical wrongs. The Assembly will also be entitled to meet with the heads of relevant government departments and the police, whose role in perpetuating the disadvantage of First Peoples was aired during the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/tag\/yoorrook-en\">Yoorrook Commission hearings<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/Australia_First-Peoples-Assembly-Ngarra-Murray-Rueben-Berg_@Victoria-Parliament.jpg\" alt=\"The co-chairs of the Victoria First Peoples Assembly, Ngarra Murray and Rueben Berg, address Parliament on 14 October 2025 to present the bill ratifying the treaty negotiated between the government and Indigenous peoples.\" class=\"wp-image-151286\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/Australia_First-Peoples-Assembly-Ngarra-Murray-Rueben-Berg_@Victoria-Parliament.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/Australia_First-Peoples-Assembly-Ngarra-Murray-Rueben-Berg_@Victoria-Parliament-540x360.jpg 540w, https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/Australia_First-Peoples-Assembly-Ngarra-Murray-Rueben-Berg_@Victoria-Parliament-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/Australia_First-Peoples-Assembly-Ngarra-Murray-Rueben-Berg_@Victoria-Parliament-1110x740.jpg 1110w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The co-chairs of the Victoria First Peoples Assembly, Ngarra Murray and Rueben Berg, address Parliament on 14 October 2025 to present the bill ratifying the treaty negotiated between the government and Indigenous peoples. Photo: \u00a9 Parliament of Victoria<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-two-new-transitional-justice-bodies\"><strong>Two new transitional justice bodies<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It will also have responsibility over the two new bodies that will be established.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first, to be known as <em>Nginma Ngainga Wara <\/em>(meaning \u2018you will do\u2019) is an accountability mechanism to monitor the impact of government programs and policies in achieving better outcomes for First Peoples. It will be empowered to hold its own inquiries into matters ranging from unconscious bias to the performance of government agencies and even ministers on matters that impact First Peoples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other body \u2013 <em>Nyerna Yoorrook Telkuna <\/em>(meaning, in various languages, \u2018to sit\u2019; \u2018to truth\u2019; \u2018to heal\u2019) \u2013 will entrench the work undertaken by the Yoorrook Commission over the past three years. It will establish a permanent, ongoing truth-telling mission with a particular focus on collecting information about the impacts of colonisation on First Peoples and maintaining an archive of the truth-telling process.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"ArticleNewsletterCTA\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"ArticleNewsletterCTATitle\">FIND THIS ARTICLE INTERESTING?<\/div>\r\n\t\t<div class=\"ArticleNewsletterCTAText\">\r\n\t\t\t<a href=\"\/en\/newsletter\">Sign up now for our (free) newsletter<\/a> to make sure you don't miss out on other publications of this type. \t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-against-the-conservative-tide\"><strong>Against the conservative tide<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The latest developments in Victoria are being closely watched in New South Wales, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, where officials and local Indigenous representatives are slowly working towards developing their own treaties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Victoria\u2019s landmark legislation has been met with little fanfare amongst the media and public in other states of Australia. The broaderpolitical environment has turned decisively against Treaty initiatives since the resounding defeat of the federal Voice referendum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A nascent truth commission in the north-eastern state of Queensland was abruptly terminated last year following a change in policy by the newly-elected conservative state government, while the Western Australian and Tasmanian governments have also backed down from treaty commitments since the 2023 referendum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Victorian conservative opposition has said it would instead establish a First Nations advisory body, but with far more limited powers than those granted to the Assembly under the current bill. \u201cThere\u2019s a big difference from running an advisory group, to effectively having an elected group come into the Parliament and operate effectively as another level of government,\u201d opposition leader Brad Battin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The governing Labor Party has also shown a propensity to sacrifice Indigenous self-governance to political expediency, after it rejected a key Yoorrook recommendation \u2013 to raise the age of criminal responsibility \u2013 amid political pressure over violent crime and lenient sentencing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the Victorian opposition considered a competitive chance of winning next year\u2019s state election, expected to be held in November next year, <em>Gellung Warl\u2019<\/em>s future hangs in the balance before it is even born. But if it stands, it is set to forge a new precedent for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/en\/transitional-justice\">transitional justice<\/a> in Australia and other states dealing with historical and ongoing wrongs committed against Indigenous peoples.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"articleLink articleLink--editorRecommanded articleLink--textInImage articleLink--textTop\" style=\"\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"articleLinkSurTitle\">Recommended reading<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<a class=\"articleLinkImageLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/en\/140643-retreating-tide-transitional-justice-australia.html\"><div class=\"articleLinkImageContainer \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/Australia_aboriginal-smoking-ceremony_@Elena-Pochesneva-Shutterstock-540x360.jpg\" class=\"articleLinkImage backgroundImageTag w-100 wp-post-image\" alt=\"In Australia, transitional justice is being undermined by politics. The Aboriginal community is trying to adapt to the failings of truth commissions following the recent change of government in Queensland. Photo: An Aboriginal man, with only his hands visible, burns herbs during a traditional smoking ceremony.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/Australia_aboriginal-smoking-ceremony_@Elena-Pochesneva-Shutterstock-540x360.jpg 540w, https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/Australia_aboriginal-smoking-ceremony_@Elena-Pochesneva-Shutterstock-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/Australia_aboriginal-smoking-ceremony_@Elena-Pochesneva-Shutterstock-1110x740.jpg 1110w, https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/Australia_aboriginal-smoking-ceremony_@Elena-Pochesneva-Shutterstock.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\" \/><\/div><\/a>\r\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.justiceinfo.net\/en\/140643-retreating-tide-transitional-justice-australia.html\" class=\"articleLinkTitle articleLinkTitle--default\">\r\n\t\t\tThe retreating tide of transitional justice in Australia\r\n\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the state of Victoria, the first treaty between an Australian government and First Peoples is on the verge of ratification, after a bill giving effect to the agreement passed the lower house of the parliament last week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":151282,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[3904,2957],"ji_location":[2109],"class_list":["post-151293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reconciliation","tag-aboriginal","tag-indigenous-peoples","ji_location-australia"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.3.1 (Yoast SEO v25.3.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Victoria, still the \u2018tip of the 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