Region: North West
Reserved Seat: No

Yakei to all the community of the North-West Region of Victoria.

Firstly, I want to acknowledge all the lands of the North -West Region and pay my respects to each and everyone of you as I am very mindful that we are the ones who live in the Regions where the highest percentage of NO votes were recorded in the referendum; where unconscious bias and racism remains high; you survive everyday and where we hope Treaty will change survive to thrive for our future generations.

I would also like to pay additional acknowledgement to all members of the Stolen Generations, those who have found their way home and those who are still on their journey.

As always it is an honour to represent all our mobs across the North-West and this always has been and always will remain my work priority as challenging as that is covering 80,000 sq km on a part time basis.

Having said that as of July 11 I stood down from my substantive position so I can focus 100% on Treaty and be the best representative and advocate I can be for the mobs from the Region. I have taken on the additional role of Regional Engagement Lead created by Assembly board of directors, although this with the already Assembly member duties is still part time at 3 days a week.

This doesn’t diminish my strength and passion to be the best representative and advocate for community knowing full well that Community Control goes to the heart of self-determination.

As identified by listening to community I continue to deliver on the values of Integrity, Human Rights and responsiveness identified by the voices of mob in the North-West namely:

• Community to NOT be divided is most important
• Community are the messengers
• Removal of barriers for blak families who want to be carers (Stolen Generations haven’t ended)
• Health, Jobs, Families, Education remain priorities. (Little to no mental health care in the country regions)
• Empowering our kids who are still facing racism
• Expertise in areas to ensure we obtain ownership percentage (big projects, energy, mining, water)
• Home ownership (too many hoops and hurdles, families living in public housing for 20 yrs or more should have home ownership transferred to them)
• Community voice to be heard
• Re Investment and development: How any of these opportunities are filtered back into TO’s and Community
• Individual Treaties with any large corporations must have consistent approach and set the standard
  

Since my last report I have had a 100% attendance of the Assembly member required internal meetings as well as additional optional meetings to be best informed and best placed to ensure the voice of the North-West is heard at all times.

On July 26 I attended the forum of First Nations Water Rights and Justice as the Assembly member for Northwest. The forum was sponsored and put together by Murray Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN) and Environment Victoria. Membership on MLDRIN Confederation is for Traditional Owner groups or Nations whose Country is within the Southern Murray-Darling Basin whose membership includes the following nations. Barapa Barapa , Dhudhuroa, Dja Dja Wurrung, Latji Latji, Maraura, Mutthi Mutthi Nari Nari, Ngarrindjeri, Ngaiwang, Ngintait, Ngunnawal, Nyeri Nyeri, Tati Tati Wadi Wadi, Wamba Wamba, Waywurru, Weki Weki ,Wergaia ,Wiradjuri ,Wolgalu Wotjobaluk, Yaitmathang, Yita Yita.

Key points and vision recorded that I feel most relevant to Treaty in Victoria or what I heard:

Grant Rigney Ngarrindjeri “smell the death at the end of the Murray River” (Raukan Mission where the Murray River runs into the sea)

• More than water justice we cannot sperate water from land they are one together, western system compartmentalises
• We (mob) are not about affecting other people’s livelihoods it’s about equity for our livelihoods.
• We know what it’s like to be dispossessed were not going to take farmers land there’s plenty crown land, national and state parks that needs to return to us
• If we don’t look after the environment no one will have a farm in the future
• We (mob) are not stakeholders we are first rights holders
• All peoples are dying we (mob) are dying the youngest and quickest
• UNDRIP needs to be enshrined in the National Water Act
• Water (and land) was our (mob) economy it was taken away
• (mob) constantly bamboozled with bureaucracy of Government
• We (mob) are upfront and straight forward but there’s no reciprocation
• Government keeps coming up with design without us and then saying this is how you fit in it, no co design that’s not how it should be done
• Water is consumed by politics of constructs and gigga battles; political discourse and discussion reduced to sound bites
• Water can be handed back to us, but Government doesn’t want to do it
• Unlegislated changes to Sustainable Living Diversion Limits (SDL)
• Why do we recover water if we don’t use it for what was intended, which is cultural flows return it to flood plains and inland flows
• Little river regulation with regards to weirs and locks
• Opposition to Basin plan is weaponised
• Profits don’t trickle down to communities
• Loving the River Country means understanding its ancient history (ally)
• Water Justice is about first Nations voice access, ownership a fair share but less than 1% of Murray Darling Basin Plan discussion is about us (ally)
• Rivers and creeks are our veins the blood of our stories
• Aqua Nullius exists
• Cultural flows water is so much more than Environmental water. Cultural flows equal first and foremost first nations views its holistic water; plants animals economic water removes relationships it’s about allocations
• Cannot measure total economic loss our (mob) economic values goes across all different values that need to be held with first nations
• We (mob) need water allocations for now and future generations overseeing and managing cultural flows, put it back in lagoons and celebrate turn our cultural icons into research sites lagoons for (return) of platypus to come back create water ways that bring our eco systems back that are culturally healthy
• Creating funding for cultural flows has proven to create instances of wealth in communities funding for cultural burns and cultural flows delivers wealth, health and wellbeing outcomes in local communities with these funding booms
• (Water rights, cultural flows) can be used to develop cultural institutes all along the river and inland (inland creeks, lagoons) to remove us from poverty.
• Injection of resources how much does Government spend on deficit model (for mob) how much does it cost to keep us in jail, poor health.

By using these insights from community and by my understanding and knowledge of International best practices for Indigenous Rights I will continue to seek to influence the First Peoples Assembly to:

• Enact a Peace Accord as a Treaty priority and starting point to which negotiate Treaty from
• Enshrine United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into our own constitution so we have control of our rights and a model to hold Government to account to
• First Peoples Assembly of Victoria to define (in clear terms) our own definition of what Community Control is to ensure Community Control is at the heart of self determination as a practice. If we can Close the Gap here, we can Close the Gap everywhere
• Land and Water Rights remain high priorities as essential inseparable components of Aboriginal Health, the rejuvenation of our water ways , inland creeks and billabongs are critical to restoring our lands back to health through cultural flows that will not only bring back and support our totems and environment but also enable our future generations to have security in stewardship of country.

I look forward to the upcoming planned Regional Community engagements planned for Stawell, Kerang and Mildura as well as the opportunities to meet with individuals and groups in between and hope to sit in the newly acquired soon to be open North-West Treaty Office in Swan Hill.

To the Community of the North West of Victoria please feel free to message me anytime via email, I want to hear how I may be of better service to you and your Treaty aspirations.

Yakei mob in the Northwest Region.

Jason Kelly Mutthi Mutthi / Wamba man providing my community engagement report as one of your 3 general / community elected First Peoples Assembly member. Being elected by the Aboriginal Community of the Northwest of Victoria is a great honour that I am very serious about.

Since my last report I have stepped aside from my substantive employment position to be able to focus more on Treaty and commit significantly more time to it as we begin to prepare for Treaty Negotiations with the State of Victoria.

My first priority is to ensure the community voices of the Northwest Region is heard loud and clear within the First Peoples Assembly chamber and it is equally important at the table amongst the metropolitan Melbourne City area, who have always had a significant advantage in dealing with the Victorian Government and Cabinet when its comes to addressing Closing The Gap disadvantages.

Over the past few months, I have been present at our face-to-face full day Regional Engagement events in Horsham, Swan Hill, Bendigo and look forward to continuing to get out all the 17 Local Government Areas during my term as a NW Community member.

I have heard many Treaty priorities form the Northwest Community that I have taken back to the Treaty Chamber. The main priorities that have come out of community feed insights are (but not exclusive to) these 10 priorities:

• Community to NOT be divided is most important
• Community are the messengers
• Removal of barriers for blak families who want to be carers (Stolen Generations haven’t ended)
• Health Jobs, Families, Education remain priorities. (Little to no mental health care in the country regions)
• Empowering our kids who are still facing racism
• Expertise in areas to ensure we obtain ownership percentage (big projects, energy, mining, water)
• Home ownership (too many hoops and hurdles, families living in public housing for 20 yrs or more should have home ownership transferred to them)
• Community voice to be heard
• Re Investment and development: How any of these opportunities are filtered back into TO’s and Community
• Individual Treaties with any large corporations must have consistent approach and set the standard.

Other International best practice concepts I am advocating for as we prepare to negotiate Treaty with the Victorian Government is the signing of a Peace Accord. A Peace accord is an official agreement to come to peace or end conflict. This is important because it will recognise that since colonisation, we been in an ongoing conflict since the Invasion of our lands and waters, and officially note that we are all (State and Aboriginal Vic) are ready to enter into a Treaty.

Another priority I continue to advocate is for the First Peoples Assembly Constitution to fully embrace the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) into it so that we are accountable to it and hold power as to its function.

UNDRIP is an important International human rights policy that was formally adopted by the United Nations on 13^th September 2003. This was rejected by Australia when John Howard was Prime Minister because Howard felt it gave too much weight to Customary Law / Aboriginal Lore.

My name is Jason Kelly, I am Mutthi Mutthi / Wamba Wamba and my totem is pukumanama Red Kangaroo. 

Over the past few months, my priorities have been to listen to community as to what they see as the most immediate point of need in ensuring Treaty delivers equally for everyone with regards to better outcomes and pathways.  

I am very aware that Community Control goes to the heart of self-determination. I have a good understanding of Human Rights particularly international conventions and the importance of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. If Treaty delivers one thing, enshrining this in Legislation is the best opportunity to deliver on statutory reform to underpin Individual and collective rights and empower mob, even liberate. 

It starts with listening to grassroots community; hearing from them what their aspirations are, what would have happened for them that would make the change and deliver the outcomes they want is the starting point. Mob want to be heard and mob want opportunity to participate in setting policy and making decisions that directly affects them and have a say as to how services are delivered in their community, Treaty starts here and now, right there, is what I am hearing in the Region. They want reform that allows their voice to be heard in the city. 

Working fulltime additionally to being a community elected Assembly member has been challenging, so my priority has been to lobby to allow myself to commit the time and energy to Treaty for my Region. I see this as the best way to allow Community to be heard and hence set the agenda themselves for future meetings that fulltime commitment will deliver. It is too important a time particularly being responsible for the biggest area in Victoria representing over 80’000 sq km. 

From my community engagements so far, the standout points I have heard from Community is nothing new and is consistent across the Region. Community want better Education pathways; Voice to be heard in Land Council and ACCOs, Land investment and development, better access to mental health supports in the Regions, a Regional voice that is heard in the city and has real influence, not having to pay rates on land and homes that are owner occupier, State forests to allow for economic development in ways community want are amongst the many messages I am hearing from the North West Community.  

Taking these messages back to chamber and advocating for the Region in a way that makes the city hear, even if I have to talk until I am blue in the face, is how I advocate and continue to advocate for the North West communities and understanding each community is different and that what may work for one may not work for others. 

Looking ahead my priority is to inform Community of where we are; how we got here and what UNDRIP is; and allow community to understand where their power is. Also to listen to messages that allows for community to set the agenda for return visits, to workshop solutions and deliver reports back to the Assembly. 

I am honoured and privileged to be elected for a second term. In term one I played an Integral role in delivering Australia’s First Truth Commission- Yoorrook. In term two I am advocating for having an international twist to Treaty by calling for the formalisation of a Peace Accord and enshrining UNDRIP into Victorian Legislation and the Victorian Constitution. All the while, seeking to ensure grassroots community are the drivers and realise self determination in the Statewide Treaty to achieve economic, social, and cultural equity based on their own cultural values and way of life. 

To achieve this, I continue to lobby for the voice of grassroots community to be heard and be supported to have ownership and responsibility for their own affairs and their own communities, including through designing and delivering policy and services on their own terms and ability to hold their service providers accountable. 

We cannot assume to know what is best for each community, giving voice and allowing community to set agendas. Treaty is the new freedom bus of which community must be the drivers and that is my commitment as a community elected representative for the Northwest Region.