Submissions

The Aboriginal Retail Australia Indigenous Corporation (ARAIC) is an Aboriginal led, non-profit organisation committed to enhancing the participation of Aboriginal businesses in the retail sector to drive economic development, equity, and social impact.

Their submission outlines a range of challenges that Aboriginal retailers face in competing with non-Aboriginal businesses trading in the promotion of Aboriginal cultures, often at greater scale. They advocate for a range of initiatives to create meaningful change and more equitable outcomes for Aboriginal businesses and the community.

Consumer Action Law Centre is an independent advocacy organisation offering community legal and financial counselling to support people facing vulnerability and disadvantage. The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS), an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO), provides culturally safe legal services to Aboriginal communities across Victoria.

This report delves into the experiences of First Nations consumers across Victoria, documenting the work of both organisations in providing crucial civil legal and financial counselling support. By integrating client stories and data, it examines intergenerational financial exclusion, housing challenges, and the need for safer systems. The report calls for urgent reforms to break cycles of disadvantage and achieve culturally safe outcomes for First Nations people.

Anonymous 1362 feels isolated and unsupported as an Aboriginal person in Victoria, stating that the local BADAC Ballarat is not user-friendly, with over 80% of the staff being white and no leadership for Aboriginal people. They call for upskilling Aboriginal workers to make a meaningful impact.

Laura Griffin is a legal academic of Anglo settler heritage at La Trobe University Law School has had the privilege of undertaking or supervising research on historical and ongoing injustices against First Peoples, focusing on colonial laws and legal institutions. They coordinate the Law School’s Indigenous Strategy and prepared a Scoping Paper on Decolonising the Law Curriculum.

Their submission compromises a series of documents. This file summarises how each document relates to the work of the Yoorrook Justice Commission (‘Yoorrook’) and/or to upcoming Treaty negotiations, and offers recommendations on that basis. Some of this research has been undertaken individually, and some in collaboration with colleagues or former students.

Patrick Ottery discusses how the massive scale of murder, displacement, and cultural destruction of First Nations people due to colonisation. He criticises the education system for not teaching this history and advocates for comprehensive education on colonisation, reparations, and government action to address systemic inequalities. He believes non-First Nations Victorians should read, listen, and challenge biases, and that government leaders must promote First Peoples history and culture beyond token gestures.

Victoria a proud Aboriginal woman, describes facing racism and discrimination throughout her life, which has impacted her in education, sport, everyday life and personal relationships. She advocates for wealth distribution. She also highlights systemic issues, including colonialism and white supremacy, and shares her struggles with CPTSD, financial difficulties, and the need for societal change.

Leadership Victoria has been delivering programs for 35 years, including the Williamson Community Leadership Program, creating a diverse network of over 7000+ alumni. They support leaders to take the next step in their leadership journey and mobilise them to create meaningful impact in their organisations, communities and beyond.

This submission details the history of leadership development programs in Victoria for First Nations People and has reflections from First Nations Leaders on their programs. It makes recommendations for promoting First Nations leadership.

Included are testimonies from Taya Philp (Ngiyampaa, Barkindji, Maarua), Troy Lovett (Gunditjamara, Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung), Shannen Mennen (Wadawurrung), Adrian Appo OAM (Gooreng Gooreng), Joe Murfet (Jingili-Mudburra), Matt Everitt (Taungurung) and Helen Kennedy (Trawoolway, Plairmairrener).

Julie Peters, discusses the distress they feel about the relationship between First Nations and colonising people, highlighting the entrenched disadvantage, poor health, poverty and lack of opportunties suffered by First Nations people. They outline their family history and emphasise the importance of truth-telling, treaties, and eliminating discrimination for First Nations people to have genuine agency.

Anonymous 1395, with eight years of experience in government procurement, advocates for direct Aboriginal business engagement. They highlight the lack of support and resources for direct engagement and the need for the Victorian Public Sector to prioritise social procurement, establish targets, and review state purchase contracts to reduce barriers.