The Treaty Authority gives notice, under clause 9.4(a) of the Treaty Negotiation Framework, that it has entered the following Traditional Owner Group onto the Negotiations Database (known as the Negotiations Register) for the purposes of Traditional Owner Treaty negotiations with the State of Victoria:
| Traditional Owner Group | Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung |
| Country | Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung People have Existing Status over a portion of their Country, under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 (Vic), including from the Werribee River in the west, north to the Great Dividing Range, east towards Mt Baw Baw and south, encompassing the southern suburbs of Melbourne, including but not limited to Oakleigh South. The Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Registered Aboriginal Party is the area where Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung People intend to negotiate a treaty. This area comprises only a portion of Wurundjeri Country. |
Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, on behalf of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people, was entered onto the Negotiations Register on 9 April 2026. The relevant Negotiations Register entry may be accessed here.
Date: 9 April 2026
HOW TRADITIONAL OWNER GROUPS ARE ENTERED ONTO THE NEGOTIATIONS REGISTER
Entry onto the Negotiations Register is the first step for Traditional Owner Groups seeking to commence negotiations for a Traditional Owner Treaty with the State of Victoria.
The Treaty Negotiation Framework outlines the process for Traditional Owner Groups to be entered onto the Negotiations Register.
To be entered onto the Negotiations Register, a Traditional Owner Group must (clauses 8.1 and 9.1, Treaty Negotiation Framework):
- satisfy the Minimum Standards set out in clause 8.3 of the Treaty Negotiation Framework; and
- record a decision of that Group to enter into treaty negotiations; and
- provide a notification to the Treaty Authority confirming these and other matters.
The Minimum Standards are certain threshold requirements a Traditional Owner Group must meet to enter into treaty negotiations. The Minimum Standards relate to:
- Land and Waters
- Community
- Leadership
- Inclusivity.
Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung automatically satisfies the Minimum Standards, because they have ‘Existing Status’ under the Treaty Negotiation Framework (clause 8.4(a), Treaty Negotiation Framework). Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, on behalf of the Wurundjeri people, has ‘Existing Status’ as a registered Aboriginal party, within the meaning of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 (Vic) (clause 8.2(c), Treaty Negotiation Framework).
On 17 March 2026, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung notified the Treaty Authority that they have satisfied the Minimum Standards and other relevant matters.
COMMENCING NEGOTIATIONS
There can only be one Traditional Owner treaty that covers any particular part of the State.
Once a Traditional Owner Group is entered onto the Negotiations Register, it may begin the process of forming a First Peoples’ Treaty Delegation to collectively negotiate a treaty in respect of an area of land and waters (clause 10.1, Treaty Negotiation Framework).
Forming a Delegation is a process of self-determined collective agreement between all Traditional Owner Groups entered onto the Negotiations Register in respect of the relevant Country (clause 10.3, Treaty Negotiation Framework).
Once a Delegation has been formed and entered onto the Negotiations Register, that Delegation is ready to commence negotiations with the State of Victoria.
The Treaty Authority will issue further notices when the Delegation formation process has begun.
CONTACT US
If you have questions about this notice, please contact the Treaty Authority on 1300 133 033 or email us at [email protected].
