The purpose of the forum was to:
- outline the treaty journey so far
- present the outcomes of the March consultations, Treaty Circles and Online Message Stick
- advise on the next steps in the treaty process
At the forum, the then Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, the Hon Natalie Hutchins MP, announced that the 2017-18 Victorian State would provide $28.5 million to support the treaty process over the next 4 years.
Overall there will be $68.2 million allocated to Aboriginal self-determination. The investment includes funding for further consultation on Treaty and the development of a new Aboriginal representative body. Aboriginal Victorians will be at the heart of the decision-making process.
The forum was a real example of democracy in action, with different views expressed. The Victorian Government and the Aboriginal Treaty Interim Working Group have listened and taken the communities thoughts and concerns on board.
At the forum, the outcomes from treaty community consultations held up until April 2017 were presented.
Based on the community consultation, a representative body needs to be:
- democratic
- independent from government
- able to authorise treaty or treaties
These outcomes were compiled into reports, copies of which were available in hardcopy for those in attendance. The reports include a summary of consultations to date and detailed analysis of design considerations for the Aboriginal Representative Body.
Find the online summary of the report:
Aboriginal community consultations on the design of a representative body
Reviewed 01 October 2019