The Act was originally established to accommodate Aboriginal Victorians forcibly removed from their homelands, allocating a degree of self-management through the return of land and establishment of the Lake Tyers and Framlingham Aboriginal Trusts.
The Act is now over fifty years old and is challenged by not keeping pace with current laws, changes in attitudes and policy governing Aboriginal affairs in Victoria.
The Victorian Government has made a commitment to review the Act to improve governance, facilitate economic development and enable greater self-determination for the Framlingham and Lake Tyers Aboriginal communities.
The review of the Act is in the context of a broader Victorian Government commitment to advancing self-determination for Aboriginal Victorians. This will include asking whether the Act is still effective in its current form or whether there are better ways to facilitate the objectives and purposes of the Act.
All members of the Framlingham and Lake Tyers Aboriginal communities were invited to have their say about the review, and possible amendments to the Act, during the two rounds of consultation in 2018 and 2019.
Both Trusts are preparing a formal submission to the review with the assistance of a lawyer, Adam McLean. If you have a direct connection to either the Framlingham or Lake Tyers Aboriginal communities and would like to be involved in either submission, you can contact Aboriginal Victoria on aboriginalaffairs@dpc.vic.gov.au.
There will be further opportunity for communities to provide feedback before changes to the Act are made.
Please note, Aboriginal Victoria is currently working with the reviewers, Adam McLean and the Framlingham and Lake Tyers Aboriginal communities to determine the impact of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) on the completion of the submissions and the review more generally. Some delays are expected, and this will be taken into account when determining dates for completion of submissions.
The Victorian Government is committed to ensuring that the review of the Act is undertaken in an objective, transparent and culturally sensitive manner. Accordingly, the Act is being reviewed by independent lawyers Jason Behrendt and Tim Goodwin.
Jason Behrendt has acted for many years as an external adviser to Aboriginal land councils and representative bodies across the nation. He has extensive knowledge and experience in relation to land rights, native title law and natural resources law.
Tim Goodwin is a member of the Yuin people of the South East Coast of New South Wales. He serves on a number of boards, including as a Board Member of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.
The Victorian Government acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past, present and future.
