Thursday 7 November, 2024
The State of Victoria has accepted the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria’s invitation to commence negotiations for Statewide Treaty.
Under the Treaty Negotiation Framework – the rules for Treaty making in Victoria – the State must meet certain ‘Minimum Standards’ to demonstrate its readiness to negotiate Treaty.
As the independent body responsible for facilitating and overseeing Treaty negotiations, the Treaty Authority will now undertake a comprehensive assessment of the State’s readiness.
The Minimum Standards relate to Land and Waters, Community, Leadership and Inclusivity. As well as the Minimum Standards, the State must also undertake further work – Additional Preparations – to prepare itself for Treaty negotiations.
When the Treaty Authority is satisfied that the State has complied with the Minimum Standards and sufficiently progressed the Additional Preparations, the Treaty Authority will enter the State onto the Negotiations Database, a repository of information about Treaty in Victoria.
At that point, negotiations for a Statewide Treaty have begun and Statewide Treaty negotiations will begin.