The negotiation of a formal recognition of the Dja Dja Wurrung people as the traditional owners of a significant area of central Victoria is exciting news.
The leadership of the Dja Dja Wurrung people must be congratulated for their perseverance and the Victorian government also deserves great credit for having the wisdom to negotiate such recognition in good faith.
Most central Victorians will notice no immediate change. Access to crown land and use of parks will be virtually unaltered.
But behind the scenes the traditional owners will become true partners in land management decisions and the protection of Aboriginal heritage will be greatly advanced.
Already traditional owners are doing incredible preliminary work to record and protect important sites, evidence of a living culture using this area for more than 20,000 years.
Hopefully one day soon all people who live in and visit this area will be able to share in the discovery and learning of this great heritage.
I believe all central Victorians will benefit from this exciting recognition, but most importantly, Aboriginal people in this region, both Dja Dja Wurrung and those of other Aboriginal nations, will be greatly enriched in self-determination and culture.
David Pugh,
CEO, St Luke’s Anglicare
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