Victorian Treaty Statement

We welcome the news that Australia’s first Treaty between First Peoples in Victoria and the Victorian Government is progressing, with the Treaty bill introduced to Victorian Parliament.

For me, Treaty is about truth-telling, healing and building respect. It means recognising First Peoples’ sovereignty and walking together toward equality and understanding – principles that align deeply with St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria’s (the Society) mission to respect every person’s dignity, stand with people experiencing disadvantage and work together for positive change. The Society has long called for building a fairer Australia for First Nations people and this historic step takes us closer to that fairness in Victoria.

I recently attended a Treaty Forum where First Peoples’ Assembly CEO Damein Bell and Co-Chairs Rueben Berg and Ngarra Murray spoke with honesty and courage about the meaning of Treaty for Victoria. 

All of us at the Society Walk beside and with First Peoples. Our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan is a practical expression of this commitment – from building cultural awareness to fostering respectful partnerships and creating opportunities for dialogue and learning.

A warm congratulations to the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Victorians on this milestone. Treaty in Victoria has been a decade in the making, and I commend all those who have worked so tirelessly to deliver this significant and historic achievement.

Dr Jennifer Fitzgerald AM
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Group CEO

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Artwork: The Waterhole, 2024, Michael Morgan, Wotjobaluk/Yorta Yorta people
Photography: Taungurung photographer, Hunter Callaghan @hunter.took.it