Home - Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

Welcome to the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

The Federation is the Victorian state-wide body that convenes and advocates for the rights and interests of Traditional Owners while progressing wider social, economic, environmental and cultural objectives.

About Us

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land we work on as the First Peoples of this Country.

Country

Healthy Country means healthy communities. Our work recognises Traditional Owners’ rights and responsibilities to care and make decisions for Country.

Traditional Owner groups have knowledge, rights and responsibilities, stemming from 65,000 years of experience on Country. The Federation works in the following areas to embed Traditional Owner voices in management of Country.

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Animals

Climate

Closing the Gap

Cultural Landscapes

Fire

Heritage

Plants

Water

Workforce Development Strategy

Community

Community wellbeing means strong culture, people and place.

The Federation’s work recognises Traditional Owner groups as authoritative decision-makers with rights and power. Our advocacy, programs and services enable Traditional Owners to get on with the business of caring for Country, culture and community.

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Aboriginal Culture and Healing Flood Recovery Grant Program

Closing the Gap

Country-based planning services

First Principles Review

Nation Building Knowledge Sharing Day

Nation-building

Rights

Treaty

Workforce Development Strategy

Economy

Economic development supports community wellbeing and is critical to enabling self-determination.

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Aboriginal-owned joint ventures

Closing the Gap

Economic Development Roadmap

Indigenous preferential procurement

Local government

Native foods and botanicals business grants

Native foods and botanicals strategy

Renewable energy

Victorian Aboriginal economic development

Workforce Development Strategy

Impact

The Federation’s advocacy shapes the landscape in which Victorian Traditional Owner corporations do their important work.

We have put cultural fire and cultural water on the agenda for government, sought greater protections for Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property, fought for a fair place in the expanding native foods and botanicals industry, championed treaty and self-determination, supported a drastic reconsideration of how our cultural heritage is approached at both state and national levels, and worked to have economic development considered as more than just small business grants.

About

The Federation is the Victorian state-wide body that convenes and advocates for the rights and interests of Traditional Owner groups while progressing wider social, economic, environmental and cultural objectives.

We support the progress of agreement-making and participation in decision-making to enhance the authority of Traditional Owner Corporations on behalf of their communities.

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10 Year Anniversary

Contact Us

Federation Enterprises

Memberships

Our Partners

Strategic Documents

Welcome to Country

Resources

Discussion papers

Information sheets

Publications

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Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

2 days ago

We’re thrilled to say the Victorian Traditional Owner Economic Development Roadmap is a national excellence finalist!

A few weeks ago, we entered the Roadmap in the National Economic Development Awards for Excellence – which recognise excellence in driving growth and prosperity, held by the peak body, Economic Development Australia – in the strategic thinking category.

Together with SGS Economics and Planning, we submitted the Roadmap as a first-of-its-kind, transformative approach to economic development that offered new empirical evidence about First Nations’ economies and reoriented the research approach away from ‘Western’ industry and towards Traditional Owners’ priorities.

And it’s one of three national finalists!

We’re up against the councils of Sydney and Casey, and winners will be announced in Newcastle in late October.

The Roadmap is a collaborative and costed blueprint for how investment in Traditional Owner Corporations could bring self-determined prosperity for Victorian Aboriginal communities – and offer $1 billion in health, employment, tourism and productivity benefits to all Victorians, from a $300 million investment over 40 years.

Cross your fingers for the Roadmap, and learn more about it here 👉🏾 https://fvtoc.com.au/sections/roadmap/

We’re thrilled to say the Victorian Traditional Owner Economic Development Roadmap is a national excellence finalist!

A few weeks ago, we entered the Roadmap in the National Economic Development Awards for Excellence – which recognise excellence in driving growth and prosperity, held by the peak body, Economic Development Australia – in the strategic thinking category.

Together with SGS Economics and Planning, we submitted the Roadmap as a first-of-its-kind, transformative approach to economic development that offered new empirical evidence about First Nations’ economies and reoriented the research approach away from ‘Western’ industry and towards Traditional Owners’ priorities.

And it’s one of three national finalists!

We’re up against the councils of Sydney and Casey, and winners will be announced in Newcastle in late October.

The Roadmap is a collaborative and costed blueprint for how investment in Traditional Owner Corporations could bring self-determined prosperity for Victorian Aboriginal communities – and offer $1 billion in health, employment, tourism and productivity benefits to all Victorians, from a $300 million investment over 40 years.

Cross your fingers for the Roadmap, and learn more about it here 👉🏾 ... See MoreSee Less

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

5 days ago

The weather’s warming up and our team’s hard at work. Here’s another look into what some of the Federation staff are up to! 🌞

Jill, Nikita, Gabby and Sophie have completed a first draft of our final report for EEmergency Recovery Victoria for the Aboriginal Culture and Healing Flood Recovery Grant Program – a grant program we administer that supported 14 Aboriginal organisations to design and deliver 16 incredible projects healing Country and community after the October 2022 floods.

Lisa and Kurt held a fantastic closed session for the Traditional Owner group representatives on the Cultural Fire Leadership Group, and Kurt’s continuing with our trust-based evaluation of the Nation Building Resource Pool Program: he had a great chat with BBunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporationfor their semi-structured interview, to close their reporting.

Gabby’s hard at work on the Workforce Development Strategy: she’s spoken with representatives from 10 Traditional Owner Corporations, and is now turning what she’s heard into a useful, de-Westernised framework for how employment needs to change.

Reece is preparing to present on our work ensuring Indigenous food sovereignty is recognised and respected at next week’s Australasian Seed Science Conference, and joined the national First Nations Cultural Heritage Alliance’s meeting to workshop changes to national cultural heritage legislation following Rio Tinto’s destruction of Juukan Gorge in 2020.

Steph’s also turning to cultural heritage management policy ahead of a Traditional Owner Corporation workshop we’re running – more on that next month! – and resting her eyes and voice after a full-day inland water target workshop (where she volunteered for a working group to formalise the definition of an ‘Aboriginal organisation’ for the purpose of understanding when Closing the Gap water entitlement targets have been met).

And Sophie had a short week, because she spent four days on beautiful Yorta Yorta Country near Echuca – but, after swimming at Dunghala and photographing these two Wigilupka, she got stuck back into editing the Federation’s annual report.

The weather’s warming up and our team’s hard at work. Here’s another look into what some of the Federation staff are up to! 🌞

Jill, Nikita, Gabby and Sophie have completed a first draft of our final report for EEmergency Recovery Victoria for the Aboriginal Culture and Healing Flood Recovery Grant Program – a grant program we administer that supported 14 Aboriginal organisations to design and deliver 16 incredible projects healing Country and community after the October 2022 floods.

Lisa and Kurt held a fantastic closed session for the Traditional Owner group representatives on the Cultural Fire Leadership Group, and Kurt’s continuing with our trust-based evaluation of the Nation Building Resource Pool Program: he had a great chat with BBunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporationfor their semi-structured interview, to close their reporting.

Gabby’s hard at work on the Workforce Development Strategy: she’s spoken with representatives from 10 Traditional Owner Corporations, and is now turning what she’s heard into a useful, de-Westernised framework for how employment needs to change.

Reece is preparing to present on our work ensuring Indigenous food sovereignty is recognised and respected at next week’s Australasian Seed Science Conference, and joined the national First Nations Cultural Heritage Alliance’s meeting to workshop changes to national cultural heritage legislation following Rio Tinto’s destruction of Juukan Gorge in 2020.

Steph’s also turning to cultural heritage management policy ahead of a Traditional Owner Corporation workshop we’re running – more on that next month! – and resting her eyes and voice after a full-day inland water target workshop (where she volunteered for a working group to formalise the definition of an ‘Aboriginal organisation’ for the purpose of understanding when Closing the Gap water entitlement targets have been met).

And Sophie had a short week, because she spent four days on beautiful Yorta Yorta Country near Echuca – but, after swimming at Dunghala and photographing these two Wigilupka, she got stuck back into editing the Federation’s annual report. ... See MoreSee Less

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

5 days ago

Hi from the National Gathering! 👋🏽

More than 300 delegates from 150 Traditional Owner organisations nationally gathered at Port Douglas this week to discuss a new representative body for Traditional Owners rights and interests.

We were stoked to join them: heres our interim CEO Kaley, with our board chair Cassie, and Karrina from the First Nations Clean Energy Network.

Kaley told us it was incredibly valuable to be part of the conversation and to take the opportunity to represent Victorian Traditional Owner groups on the national stage. A lot of community consultation follows this gathering, and were committed to contributing to that important process.

Hi from the National Gathering! 👋🏽

More than 300 delegates from 150 Traditional Owner organisations nationally gathered at Port Douglas this week to discuss a new representative body for Traditional Owners' rights and interests.

We were stoked to join them: here's our interim CEO Kaley, with our board chair Cassie, and Karrina from the First Nations Clean Energy Network.

Kaley told us it was incredibly valuable to be part of the conversation and to take the opportunity to represent Victorian Traditional Owner groups on the national stage. A lot of community consultation follows this gathering, and we're committed to contributing to that important process. ... See MoreSee Less

Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

6 days ago

A huge congratulations to our interim CEO Kaley Nicholson, who’s been elected co-chair of Ngaweeyan Maar-oo! ✊🏾

Ngaweeyan Maar-oo (which means ‘voice of and from the people’ in Gunditjmara peoples’ Dhauwurd Wurrung languages) is a representative body of Aboriginal organisations that shapes and scrutinises Victoria’s progress towards Closing the Gap.

23 member organisations make up Ngaweeyan Maar-oo, and the Federation is the only one whose work is focused exclusively on Traditional Owner groups’ rights and interests.

We’re really proud to be part of Ngaweeyan Maar-oo, recognising the centrality of Country in the forum’s important work to progress Aboriginal life outcomes – and thrilled to take up the co-chair role.

Kaley joins Michael Graham, who’s the CEO of Victorian Aboriginal Health Service -VAHS, and told us:

“Co-chairing Ngaweeyan Maar-oo means an opportunity to elevate the importance of Country in everything the Victorian Aboriginal community sector does to close life outcomes gaps and give our people the opportunity to thrive.

I’m honoured to take up this role alongside Uncle Michael, whose expertise and leadership have made Ngaweeyan Maar-oo a respected partner in Closing the Gap decision-making.

I look forward to continuing and strengthening that role and thank Ngaweeyan Maar-oo members for their confidence in the Federation’s ability to guide real change for our communities.”

Congratulations Kaley and thank you Ngaweeyan Maar-oo members. ✨

A huge congratulations to our interim CEO Kaley Nicholson, who’s been elected co-chair of Ngaweeyan Maar-oo! ✊🏾

Ngaweeyan Maar-oo (which means ‘voice of and from the people’ in Gunditjmara peoples’ Dhauwurd Wurrung languages) is a representative body of Aboriginal organisations that shapes and scrutinises Victoria’s progress towards Closing the Gap.

23 member organisations make up Ngaweeyan Maar-oo, and the Federation is the only one whose work is focused exclusively on Traditional Owner groups’ rights and interests.

We’re really proud to be part of Ngaweeyan Maar-oo, recognising the centrality of Country in the forum’s important work to progress Aboriginal life outcomes – and thrilled to take up the co-chair role.

Kaley joins Michael Graham, who’s the CEO of Victorian Aboriginal Health Service -VAHS, and told us:

“Co-chairing Ngaweeyan Maar-oo means an opportunity to elevate the importance of Country in everything the Victorian Aboriginal community sector does to close life outcomes gaps and give our people the opportunity to thrive.

I’m honoured to take up this role alongside Uncle Michael, whose expertise and leadership have made Ngaweeyan Maar-oo a respected partner in Closing the Gap decision-making.

I look forward to continuing and strengthening that role and thank Ngaweeyan Maar-oo members for their confidence in the Federation’s ability to guide real change for our communities.”

Congratulations Kaley and thank you Ngaweeyan Maar-oo members. ✨ ... See MoreSee Less

© 2025 Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations