Voting begins for Victoria’s treaty-era First Peoples’ Assembly

Aboriginal Victorians are voting in elections that will determine the next First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, as the state moves into the implementation phase of Australia’s only statewide treaty framework.

Voting is open to Aboriginal Victorians aged 16 and over, runs for three weeks and closes on 12 April. More than 70 Aboriginal candidates are contesting seats across five regions – metro, north-west, north-east, south-west and south-east – for four-year terms.

While this is the third time elections have been held for the Assembly since it was established in 2019, it is the first poll since the body was promised an expanded role under Victoria’s treaty. The Statewide Treaty Act received Royal Assent in November and was publicly marked in December, putting a treaty structure into law for the first time in Australia.

Under the Act, the Assembly is set to become the decision-making arm of a new authority known as Gellung Warl, which officially commences in May. The revamped Assembly will not be able to make laws, but members will be able to question state ministers and advise government on proposals that impact Aboriginal Victorians.

Candidates are campaigning on practical priorities as well as bigger questions of sovereignty, accountability and how self-determination should work in the next stage of treaty. Gunai and Gunditjmara candidate Meriki Onus said the elections mattered because they placed decisions back with community. “This is a democratic process for our community … our community will decide what’s best for them, and that’s what self-determination means” they said.

Talks are also underway to create a dedicated room within parliament so the Assembly can carry out its new functions – a promise set out under the statewide treaty agreement. The shift is expected to change how Aboriginal voices are heard in the day-to-day work of parliament and government, including through formal advice on bills and policies.

The elections are unfolding amid political uncertainty. The Liberal opposition has said it would scrap the treaty project within 100 days if elected at the November state election, arguing the structure is expensive and not the right path to deliver outcomes for First Nations Victorians. Candidates have responded by arguing treaty mechanisms must be tested in practice and protected from being undone midstream.

Results are expected to be announced in late April, with the new structure due to begin operating in May.