An Aboriginal elder has insisted residents will not lose their land as the Victorian government prepares to begin treaty negotiations with indigenous Australians.
Aunt Jill Gallagher, who is not directly involved in the negotiations, revealed what kind of compensation she wanted First Nations people to receive.
“I think reparations should be on the table,” he said. 3AW radio on Wednesday.
“It may not be in the form of money, it may be in the form of empowerment, it may be in the form of land, but it is definitely not private land,” he said.
“No one is going to lose their private lands through this Treaty process.”
His comment came as Allan’s government on Tuesday refused to rule out handing over compulsorily acquired private property to indigenous groups.
Aboriginal elder Jill Gallagher has said the land “must” be part of reparations for Aboriginal Australians under a proposed treaty being considered by the Victorian government.
Treaty and First Peoples Minister Natalie Hutchins was pressed on the matter as she led the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee hearing.
“The focus we have in the Treaty is to build a new path forward for Aboriginal people,” he said.
Gallagher said the land “must” be part of reparations with the government to potentially purchase land and give it to Indigenous organizations.
“It would be surprising if our elected body, the First Victorian People’s Assembly, had the opportunity to buy land if it came on the market,” he said.
Ms Gallagher was questioned about a measure that would provide indigenous-only seats in the Upper or Lower House of Victoria’s state parliament.
‘Do you think it is a good idea?’ 3AW presenter Tom Elliott asked.
“I believe that having the power to influence decisions made in our communities is vital in the Treaty process,” Ms Gallagher responded.
“Issues affecting indigenous peoples have gone unnoticed for 250 years and if we have the power to influence those decisions, in whatever form they come, it would be amazing, because only then will we close that gap in life expectancy.”
Gallagher said details of the Treaty would be finalized in 2025 and any agreement would need to be legislated by state parliament.
In a speech at the State Treaty Meeting in Geelong in April, Ms Gallagher called for Indigenous people to be exempt from land tax and council rates.
He also called for Aboriginal people to be exempt from tertiary education fees and interest-free loans so they could have the power to buy homes.
In a speech at the State Treaty Meeting in Geelong in April, Ms Gallagher (pictured left) called for Indigenous people to be exempt from land tax, university fees and council rates.
“As a proud Aboriginal woman, I cannot stand by and watch as Aboriginal communities continue to experience health and wellbeing outcomes that are disproportionately worse than their non-Indigenous counterparts,” she said in a statement.
‘Some people forget that the Aboriginal people of this continent were stripped of the opportunity to generate wealth.
“For many, many years we were not allowed to buy land.”
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan previously declined to comment on whether the government would accept or reject the proposals.
“This and many other issues will be put on the table for negotiation, so I am not going to engage in a separate negotiation through the media,” he said.
The state government is taking steps towards a Treaty through the Yoorrook Justice Commission, in a process completely separate from the failed national Indigenous Voice referendum to Parliament in October 2023.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan (pictured) previously declined to comment on whether the government would accept or reject the proposals.
According to the government website, the Yoorrook Commission “is investigating historical and ongoing injustices committed against Aboriginal Victorians since colonisation, in all areas of social, political and economic life”.
Indigenous senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who campaigned against Indigenous Voice in Parliament, described the proposals as “extravagant and insulting”, saying they will create more division.
“These separatist policies have failed and were rejected by the Australian people in the referendum,” Ms Price said.
