Sisters Rocks, located near Stawell, Victoria, is one of the sites included in a new Aboriginal cooperative agreement with the State Government. However, this agreement has sparked controversy, as it will result in a significant land and water transfer in the west and northwest regions of Victoria, affecting the local population. The agreement, which was signed last year without the involvement of the affected shires, will make these regions a testing ground for a UN-backed indigenous secession project.
Under the agreement, the State Government will provide undisclosed amounts of funding to Aboriginal corporations over multiple annual payments, potentially totaling tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars. The 71-page Recognition and Settlement Agreement between the State of Victoria, the Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, and the Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate Indigenous Corporation requires the shires and other community organizations to consult or mediate with the indigenous corporations or face legal action.
The agreement supposedly represents the interests of the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia, and Jupagulk People (WJJWJ) in the region. However, there have been concerns about the lack of clarity regarding who exactly these people are. The State Government claims that the agreement is an “aspirational” list of ways for traditional owners to work with councils and state authorities. However, critics argue that it reads more like a series of demands.
One of the main issues raised by the agreement is the transfer of major land parcels in fee simple and Aboriginal title from current and new parks and reserves in the agreement area to the Aboriginal corporations. For example, the agreement includes a demand for the handover of the Wail State Forest, a popular camping area south of Dimboola. Another site mentioned is the Sisters Rocks near Stawell.
Additionally, the agreement states that the Aboriginal corporations will undertake a land assessment project to identify suitable parcels of public land in the agreement area for transfer to the corporations. The State Government has pledged to support this project. This move follows similar actions taken by South Australia and Western Australia, effectively establishing a regional indigenous council system in line with the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The agreement, signed off last October but only revealed to the councils in July, has caused outrage among the affected shires. It grants the Barengi Gadjin Land Council powers to rename roads, bridges, and public spaces, as well as co-manage waterways and handle biosecurity. The land council will also have preferential access to council procurement contracts and jobs, for which the councils, and ultimately the ratepayers, will have to pay.
The agreement, uploaded to the Victorian government’s First Peoples – State Relations website on July 21, aims to strengthen and protect the culture, traditional practices, and unique relationship to the country of the WJJWJ People. However, critics argue that it creates a double standard, allowing people with indigenous backgrounds to pursue an independent “indigenous state” while denying this opportunity to non-indigenous individuals.
The issue of exclusive naming rights has also been raised, with concerns about erasing or condemning the region’s history associated with European, Asian, and Aboriginal influences. The Recognition and Settlement Agreement was made under section 4 of the Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010 (Vic) between the State of Victoria, the Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, and the Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate Indigenous Corporation No. 4395. The agreement grants unelected corporate entities indigenous status, with the power to demand paid consultations with elected councils on any activity they believe has a cultural or spiritual interest.
In conclusion, the new Aboriginal cooperative agreement between the State Government and Aboriginal corporations in Victoria has raised numerous concerns in the affected regions. The transfer of land and water and the granting of additional powers to the Aboriginal corporations without the involvement of the shires has sparked controversy and prompted accusations of a land grab. The agreement’s future implications and potential consequences remain uncertain.
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