Sharing knowledge and answering questions about the process, officials visited Shepparton yesterday to speak with local Aboriginal organisations and community members.
Treaty Advancement commissioner Jill Gallagher said the conversations were important to help local communities understand what was trying to be achieved with the ultimate goal of creating Australia's first treaty legislation within the Victorian Government.
"For the past three years we have been engaging with Aboriginal people across Victoria talking about how we as aboriginal people organise ourselves," she said.
“For the first time since colonisation we have a government that is willing to talk treaty.
“Finally, our communities can demonstrate that it is the right thing to do, and that everyone will benefit from a Treaty being agreed.”
A treaty can include one agreement, or lots of agreements about issues of sovereignty, the relationship between Indigenous people and the government as well as the rights of Indigenous people and decision-making processes.
Australia is the only Commonwealth country not to have a treaty with its First Peoples.
Ms Gallagher said having these events helped dispel concerns held by Aboriginal people.
"I think the Shepparton community is quite interested so that's exciting," she said.
She said she understood the reservations of people in embracing the process due to a lack of understanding and fears about future inaction.
Assembly election officer for the north-east electorate Kasey Cooper said it was important for people to understand the Victorian Treaty Advancement Commission was trying to "organise a voice''.
Ms Gallagher was delighted by the number of people who had shared their aspirations for the treaty, although she said it was all still a work in progress.
"Our role is to actually set up the counterpart to government so they have someone they can talk to," she said.
She said one of the barriers that was dealt with earlier on in the process was the establishment of a non-compulsory electoral role, separate to the Victorian Electoral Commission.
"If we're going to build our own election process, to elect our representative, we want to build our own electoral role because a lot of our mob don't engage in the mainstream electoral role or voting."
"So building it from scratch has been a challenge but it's been the best thing we've ever done because it will be our own Victorian aboriginal electoral role," she said.
Ms Cooper said one the fact the role is open to ages 16 plus is also an important step.
"For my daughter, she is going to be enrolled to vote and she is 17, so her first time to vote is for her people which is awesome," she said.
Enrolment and candidate nominations for the assembly are open for another two weeks before voting starts on September 16 until October 20.
"We have the longest voting period in the world of five weeks, on par with India," Ms Gallagher said.
The commission will have voting booths in Shepparton and Echuca on weekdays between Monday, September 30, and Friday, October. 11
The vote will determine which Victorian Traditional Owners take up 21 of the 33 Assembly seats.
The other 12 seats are designated for each of the 12 formally recognised Traditional Owner groups.
The north-east region has three seats.
Ms Gallagher said she believed the assembly would begin work early next year, with one of the first acts being the establishment of the treaty authority before negotiating the treaty framework and the self-determination fund.
“If any community members want a conversation to find out more about becoming a candidate, or want to talk treaty, please get in touch," she said.
For more information, visit firstpeoplesvic.org
READ MORE ABOUT THE TREATY:
Time to pause and reflect
Call to support treaty talks
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