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Hey friends,We’ve had a pretty remarkable couple of weeks. We didn’t just take a step forward — we took a giant leap forward on the Treaty journey! This month the Victorian Government agreed to hand over some of its power through the creation of the Treaty Authority — an independent ‘umpire’ that will ensure Treaty negotiations are grounded in our culture, lore and law. This is decolonisation in action. Treaty is an opportunity to restore our ability to make the decisions that affect our communities, our culture and our Country — and this agreement is a really big step towards that destination. Find out more about what this means for the Treaty journey below. 
Bipartisan support for Treaty Authority Last week our elected Members took over Parliament to urge MPs to support legislation that allows for the creation of an independent Treaty ‘umpire’ that sits outside government. They succeeded, with the lower house of Victoria’s Parliament passing the Bill with only one vote against it. The next stop for the Bill is the upper house. Read Assembly Co-chairs Aunty Geraldine Atkinson and Marcus Stewart’s powerful speeches below. 
Aunty Geraldine Atkinson "Don’t look back on this moment in years to come to see yourself on the wrong side of history. Instead, step into this moment and have the courage to help create change." 
Marcus Stewart "If we want Treaty to deliver, if we want it to improve the lives of our people, we cannot move forward using the same systems that have been used against us or held us back for so long." 
What is the Treaty Authority? This month we held a special ceremony with the Victorian Premier down on Gadubanud Country of the Eastern Maar people to celebrate the agreement to establish the Treaty Authority. The Treaty Authority will be an independent ‘umpire’ to oversee Treaty negotiations and help resolve disputes. 
The Treaty Authority will be:
In the media Explainer: A new Treaty Authority between First Peoples and the Victorian government is a vital step towards a treaty. 
In the media Historic Treaty bill passes Victorian lower house. The Treaty "umpire" will sit outside of the usual government bureaucracy and will not report to any minister.
Young mob share their vision for Treaty Young mob came together for our first ever Treaty Youth Forum in Warrnambool earlier this month, and it was so powerful to hear what they are dreaming of for Treaty! During the forum, young people shared their vision for Treaty which they crafted into this statement. We know you will find it as inspiring as we do! 
📣 Final chance to grab one of our NAIDOC week tees 📣 Celebrate NAIDOC week with one of these deadly tees and help support the journey to Treaty here in Victoria! We have less than 30 NAIDOC week tees left, and once they’re gone they’re gone — so don’t miss your chance to wear this deadly design by Tatti Tatti man, Jade Kennedy.
Walk with us! Treaty is about having the freedom and power to make the decisions that affect us and our community – and that starts now. If you haven’t already, make sure you’re enrolled with the Assembly to have your voice heard and help decide the next steps on the journey to Treaty. Thanks for being a part of our shared journey towards Treaty here in Victoria! Cheers, Amy Rust | Proud Kokatha woman | Head of Engagement & Communications 
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