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Welcome to the Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations

We’re the state-wide body fighting for the rights and interests of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations while progressing wider social, economic, environmental and cultural objectives.

About

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.

View our work for Country

Community

Community wellbeing means strong culture, people and place.

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

View our work for community

Economy

Strong and independent economies sustain Traditional Owner communities and enable self-determination.

The Federation’s research, grant administration, knowledge-sharing and advocacy promote rights-based economic development for Traditional Owner Corporations.

View our work for economy

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 Traditional Owners’ economic development considered as more than just small business grants.

See our impact

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.

Founded in 2013 by Traditional Owner Corporations who recognised they could be stronger together, we are by and for Traditional Owners: their advocacy body, helping to enhance their authority on behalf of their communities.

Our strategy

Resources

Discussion papers
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Information sheets
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Publications
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It’s our last week at Drummond Street!

Here’s how some of our team are spending it. 

💸 Kaley’s heart’s already on Spring Street – she’s in ministerial advisor meetings chasing up two funding proposals (fingers crossed we’ll have more to share here soon!)

🐯 When he’s not coordinating our office move (cleaning, keys, desks and more!) Ken’s kicking off this year’s footy tipping. Go Tiges.

📚 Gabby’s elbow-deep in minutes from last week’s TOC Caucus meeting – and has met the massive milestone of sending Workforce Development Framework to layout!

🔥 Kurt and Lisa held a very successful closed (TOC-only) session of the Cultural Fire Leadership Group, and are now revising the funding opportunities policy paper ahead of next month’s full meeting – a version Kurt describes as “not final final, but nearly final”). 

👩🏾‍💼 Ben’s looking at Federation Enterprise – we’re appointing new directors to the board of the investment subsidiary we co-own – and coordinating a chat for our team with Parks Victoria about its Traditional Owner engagement.

🤝🏽 Lisa’s excited about a new DEECA working group for policy and legislative reform relating to cultural fire – we’re working now to set the scene, and keen to get going. 

✍🏽 Sophie’s working on our monthly newsletter and supporting Dan’s work on a two-day Traditional Owner Treaty Forum we’ll share more about soon.

👋🏾 The second-last invoice is in for the Resource Pool – leaving outstanding just the one project whose extension we secured this month! Its the end of an era, in more ways than one.

It’s our last week at Drummond Street!

Here’s how some of our team are spending it.

💸 Kaley’s heart’s already on Spring Street – she’s in ministerial advisor meetings chasing up two funding proposals (fingers crossed we’ll have more to share here soon!)

🐯 When he’s not coordinating our office move (cleaning, keys, desks and more!) Ken’s kicking off this year’s footy tipping. Go Tiges.

📚 Gabby’s elbow-deep in minutes from last week’s TOC Caucus meeting – and has met the massive milestone of sending Workforce Development Framework to layout!

🔥 Kurt and Lisa held a very successful closed (TOC-only) session of the Cultural Fire Leadership Group, and are now revising the funding opportunities policy paper ahead of next month’s full meeting – a version Kurt describes as “not final final, but nearly final”).

👩🏾‍💼 Ben’s looking at Federation Enterprise – we’re appointing new directors to the board of the investment subsidiary we co-own – and coordinating a chat for our team with Parks Victoria about its Traditional Owner engagement.

🤝🏽 Lisa’s excited about a new DEECA working group for policy and legislative reform relating to cultural fire – we’re working now to set the scene, and keen to get going.

✍🏽 Sophie’s working on our monthly newsletter and supporting Dan’s work on a two-day Traditional Owner Treaty Forum we’ll share more about soon.

👋🏾 The second-last invoice is in for the Resource Pool – leaving outstanding just the one project whose extension we secured this month! It's the end of an era, in more ways than one.
... See MoreSee Less

Our Carlton lease is up, and were headed to the big smoke.

In case you missed it, were relocating this week – from Drummond Street to Collins Street, in the CBD.

From 1 March, find the Federation at:

Spaces @ Rialto
West Podium, Mezzanine 2
525 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Our phone number and emails are the same, and our ears are open for lunch-spot recommendations!

Our Carlton lease is up, and we're headed to the big smoke.

In case you missed it, we're relocating this week – from Drummond Street to Collins Street, in the CBD.

From 1 March, find the Federation at:

Spaces @ Rialto
West Podium, Mezzanine 2
525 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Our phone number and emails are the same, and our ears are open for lunch-spot recommendations!
... See MoreSee Less

Ins: building Nations by healing Country, culture and community.

Ins: building Nations by healing Country, culture and community. ... See MoreSee Less

Whose Country are you on today?

Whose Country are you on today? ... See MoreSee Less

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