Victoria will introduce to parliament on Tuesday legislation to formalise the nation's first treaty between a state government and Indigenous peoples, a package that includes a formal apology, a reframing of school curricula and wider use of traditional place names.
The treaty bill, finalised after years of negotiation, would establish a First Peoples Assembly and a new authority called Gellung Warl — a term the documents say means "tip of the spear" — with powers to scrutinise government programs and make representations to both houses of parliament, the state cabinet, departmental secretaries and individual MPs.
The treaty text contains a legal preamble that describes the founding of the colony of Victoria "without the consent, negotiation or recognition of the Traditional Owners of these lands and waters," and says what followed was "violence, destruction and dispossession" that left "lasting scars on families, communities and Country itself." It states that the harm of colonisation "is yet to end" while describing the treaty as one of the "most important steps" the state can take.
Under the proposals, Victorian schoolchildren would be taught about the "enduring harm" of colonisation, injustice and dispossession as told by Indigenous Australians dating from the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. The bill also anticipates broader use of Indigenous names for environmental landmarks and a dedicated room in parliament for the assembly when it convenes.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said the negotiations were finalised and the bill would now proceed through parliament. "Policies and programs work best when the people affected by them have a say in how they are delivered — that’s why this Bill proposes to put decision-making power about initiatives and services that impact First Peoples into the hands of First Peoples’ Assembly," she said.
A formal signing is planned later this year in a ceremony expected to include a central Melbourne celebration of Aboriginal music and culture. Elections will select representatives to the First Peoples Assembly, who will then negotiate future agreements with the state government and the Gellung Warl authority.
The cost of negotiating and implementing the treaty has been disclosed in recent reporting and government documents. Successive Labor governments in Victoria have spent at least $380 million on treaty negotiations since 2016. With proposed spending over the next five years and $36.8 million allocated for capital costs between 2026 and 2029, the total cost of the treaty and the Gellung Warl authority is projected to reach about $660 million by 2030.
The legislation has drawn political division. The state Coalition has vowed to vote against the treaty, with Opposition Leader Brad Battin likening it to the federal Voice referendum that was rejected by voters. In contrast, the Animal Justice Party, the Victorian Greens and the Legalise Cannabis Party have signalled they will support the bill through the upper house.
The treaty documents emphasise that the arrangement is intended not as a concession but as a long-term commitment to "practical change, to shared progress, and to a future in which dignity and opportunity belong to all." Future agreements are expected to be negotiated between the Gellung Warl authority, Victoria’s 38 recognised traditional owner groups and the state government.
Parliamentary debate and committee consideration are expected this week and in coming months. If passed, the bill would mark a significant institutional change in how Victoria recognises and engages with its First Peoples, creating formal mechanisms for Indigenous input into policies and programs that affect their communities.