Victorian critics have demanded a referendum on the state government's newly unveiled treaty with Aboriginal traditional owners, saying the agreement would amount to a fundamental change to the Westminster system and create an unelected power centre that should be put to voters.
Premier Jacinta Allan on Tuesday unveiled a draft treaty designed to recognise the history and rights of Victoria's First Peoples. If passed by parliament, the deal would require schools to teach about the "enduring harm" of colonisation since 1788, include a formal apology and enable more geographical locations to be given Indigenous names. It would also establish a new Indigenous body, named Gellung Warl, which would be elected, sit in a dedicated room in Parliament House and have powers to scrutinise government programs and make representations to both houses, cabinet, departmental secretaries and individual members. The treaty would create and operate a First Peoples' Infrastructure Fund from July next year.
Opponents characterised the proposal as broader and more powerful than the federal Voice to Parliament that Australians rejected at a national referendum in 2023. "This is such a dramatic change to the Victorian Westminster system that all Victorians should get a vote on whether this treaty is approved," campaigner Warren Mundine told The Herald Sun, adding the arrangement would amount to a "third chamber" of the state's parliament. Federal Liberal Senator Jacinta Price, a prominent opponent of the national Voice, said the state's plan "goes even further than the failed national Voice proposal" and warned it was being imposed without consultation or consent.
The majority of Victorians voted against the national Voice in the 2023 referendum, with about 45.85 percent voting in support. Institute of Public Affairs research fellow Margaret Chambers called the Victorian treaty an "affront" to the principle that all Victorians are equal under the law, saying it would create a two-tiered legal system and could pave the way for reparation payments. Chambers said the legislation provides sweeping exemptions from freedom of information laws and warned that voting members of Gellung Warl would be able to direct government services despite being unaffiliated to the parliament. She also cited prior IPA estimates that the government has spent millions preparing and negotiating the treaty since 2016 and predicted administration costs of at least A$679 million over the next decade.
Premier Allan defended the treaty as the result of nearly a decade of work and as a necessary step on a path she described as "Truth and Treaty." "We have passed legislation twice, developed policies, and made commitments across the government," Allan said, calling the bill a "historical milestone" in the state's relationship with its First Peoples. The premier said the arrangements respond to long-standing calls from traditional owners and have been developed through a process of negotiations, including ceremonial events on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung country.
The treaty bill is awaiting further debate and a vote in the Victorian Parliament. Supporters say the agreement is the nation's first state-level treaty and will provide formal recognition, improve Indigenous participation in decision-making and fund infrastructure projects on First Peoples' terms. Opponents say those powers risk undermining parliamentary sovereignty and creating parallel structures of governance.
The proposed Gellung Warl would be elected by Indigenous Victorians and have a permanent chamber-like presence in the parliament building. Backers argue that elected representation and formal statutory recognition are necessary to ensure Indigenous voices are heard in policy areas that affect their communities, including housing, health and education. Critics counter that the body's ability to make representations to ministers and parliament, combined with exemptions from freedom of information requirements, would lessen transparency and accountability.
Political debate is likely to intensify as the bill progresses through committee stages. The government's timetable anticipates establishing the First Peoples' Infrastructure Fund from July next year, and proponents have signalled they will press for timely passage. Opponents have signalled plans to campaign for a public vote, framing their argument around democratic legitimacy and the wider implications for state governance. The parliament will now consider amendments and submissions before a final vote is taken.