Australia signs first indigenous rights treaty

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In the Australian state of Victoria, the first formal agreement in the country's history was concluded with indigenous leaders. It was passed in the upper house of the state parliament. Twenty-one people voted for the bill, sixteen parliamentarians voted against it.

“The Treaty marks the beginning of a new era in which sixty thousand years of Indigenous knowledge and culture will be respected and valued. This is an opportunity for all Victorians to acknowledge our shared history, heal and move forward together,” said First Peoples' Assembly (FPA) co-chair Ngarra Murray.

Another co-chair of the organization, Ruben Berg, said the treaty recognizes the right of Aboriginal Australians to control their own lives.

“Through the agreement, we will be able to use our expertise to develop and implement practical solutions for local communities in areas such as health, education, housing and justice,” he said.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said the bill was the result of work by the state's Labor government that began in 2016.

The bill establishes the Assembly of First Nations as a permanent representative body advising the government under a new statutory corporation called Gellung Warl.

As part of its expanded powers, the Assembly will be able to make statements, make recommendations to the government and pose questions to politicians. Ministers and government departments will in turn be required to consult the Assembly on laws and policies affecting indigenous peoples. In this case, the Assembly will not have the right of veto.

Gellung Warl will also include a truth body (Nyerna Yoorrook Telkuna) and an accountability body (Nginma Ngainga Wara). The latter will monitor the government's fulfillment of its obligations under the national agreement.

Following the passage of the bill, the State Government and the FPA will formally sign a thirty-four page agreement, which also includes a commitment to review the school curriculum, a formal apology to Indigenous people in Parliament, and increased use of traditional place names throughout Victoria. This will be followed by a public celebration in Melbourne.

Opposition MPs promised to cancel the agreement within one hundred days if they win the state government elections in November 2026.