Introduction

Acknowledgment

We acknowledge the First Peoples of Victoria and their ongoing strength in practising the world’s oldest living culture. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters on which we live and work and pay our respect to their Elders, past and present.

We recognise that from time immemorial, First Peoples have practised their law and lore, customs and languages, and nurtured Country through their spiritual, cultural, material and economic connections to land, water and resources.

We acknowledge that the long-lasting, far-reaching and intergenerational consequences of the dispossession of First Peoples of their Country are a direct result of colonisation and the establishment of the State of Victoria. This history, and the systems it gave rise to, continue to harm First Peoples today. It is only through true Aboriginal self-determination that we can begin to right the wrongs of the past.

We acknowledge the strength and resilience of First Peoples in the face of historical and ongoing injustices, and the survival of their living cultures, knowledge and traditions.

Language Statement

Language is important and can change over time. Words can have different meanings for different people.

We recognise the diversity of First Peoples, communities and cultures throughout Victoria. While the terms ‘Koorie’ or ‘Koori’ are commonly used by contemporary First Peoples in southeast Australia to identify and differentiate themselves from First Peoples groups from other parts of Australia, this does not encompass the diversity of all First Peoples in Victoria. Unless overwise stated, we have used the term ‘Aboriginal’ or ‘First Peoples’ to include all people of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent who live in Victoria.

The glossary includes a list of acronyms and other terminology used in the Report.

Message from the Premier

The Allan Labor Government is committed to delivering on Truth, Treaty and self-determination – working for and with Victoria’s First Peoples.

We recognise that throughout the history of our state, First Peoples have been excluded from opportunity – and that the impact of those Government policies and practises continues to be felt to this day.

The Yoorrook Justice Commission is investigating these failures, and helping us understand the history of our state from the perspective of First Peoples.

Because only by acknowledging our past can we reach for a better future.

After more than a decade of preparation, the Victorian Government and the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria have now begun negotiations for a Statewide Treaty.

At its heart, Treaty is based on a simple premise: that laws and policies work best when the people affected by them have a say in how they work.

Treaty is about making sure Aboriginal people get a say over their healthcare, their housing, their kids’ education, and the practice of their culture – now and into the future.

We know there’s a long way to go. At this important juncture, the Victorian Government Aboriginal Affairs Report 2024 is a critical tool to help us understand where improvements have been made and what remains to be done.

I particularly wish to thank the Aboriginal Governance Forums and Ngaweeyan Maar-oo, the Koorie Caucus of the Closing the Gap Partnership Forum for their contributions to this report.

Your work is helping to create a better, fairer state for all Victorians.

Hon Jacinta Allan MP
Premier

Message from the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples

The Victorian Government Aboriginal Affairs Report 2024 is delivered in the context of Victoria’s nation-leading Treaty and Truth processes.

Treaty will help us build a shared future and shared pride in the Aboriginal heritage of this land we all love, that is our home. When First Peoples make decisions for Aboriginal families and communities, we see better results.

This guiding principle underpins the Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework 2018-2025 (VAAF), Victoria’s overarching framework to improve outcomes for and with First Peoples.

This Report provides key data to track the implementation of the VAAF, the Self-Determination Reform Framework, and Victoria’s obligations under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

In 2023-24 we saw improved outcomes across a range of measures. Rates of perinatal mortality for Aboriginal babies continue to decline and Aboriginal children are receiving immunisations at historically high levels. In 2023, all eligible Aboriginal children in Victoria were enrolled in kindergarten.

Despite these positive changes, this Report highlights troubling areas where outcomes have stalled or worsened. First Peoples remain overrepresented in the criminal justice and child protection systems, are disproportionately impacted by family violence, and experience worsening rates of psychological distress and self-harm.

Government is working closely with First Peoples to deliver structural change to address the systemic injustices driving these outcomes. This includes implementing legislation to expand the role of Aboriginal agencies in delivering children and family services. It also includes launching Victoria’s anti-racism strategy 2024-2029 and Victoria’s Suicide Prevention and Response Strategy 2024-2034.

The Yoorrook Justice Commission is Australia’s first and only Aboriginal-led truth-telling process on historical and ongoing injustices experienced by First Peoples across all areas of social, political and economic life. The Commission’s recommendations will inform Treaty negotiations.

This report highlights the experiences of First Peoples. It is a powerful reminder of why we must continue to create a pathway, through Truth and Treaty, to change what isn’t working.

The Hon Natalie Hutchins MP
Minister for Treaty and First Peoples

About this Report

The purpose of the Victorian Government Aboriginal Affairs Report (Report) is for the Victorian Government to annually report on progress against the Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework (VAAF), the Self-Determination Reform Framework (SDRF), the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (National Agreement) and the Victorian Closing the Gap Implementation Plan 2021-2025 (Implementation Plan). The Report is an outcomes measurement and accountability tool that provides valuable information about progress and challenges that still need to be addressed.

The VAAF is the guiding framework in Aboriginal affairs and the Report outlines progress towards achieving the vision of the VAAF:

‘That all Aboriginal Victorian people, families and communities are healthy, safe, resilient, thriving and living culturally rich lives.’

The Report sets out how government is working to realise the VAAF’s 20 goals across six domains:

• Children, family & home
• Learning & skills
• Opportunity & prosperity
• Heath & wellbeing
• Justice & safety
• Culture & Country.

Under the SDRF, Victorian Government departments and agencies are continuing to reform internal processes, practices and policies to better enable Aboriginal self-determination. These reforms are in part informed by the Victorian Government’s journey towards Truth and Treaty, in partnership with the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria (First Peoples’ Assembly) and the Yoorrook Justice Commission. The Commission is the first truth-telling process into the historical and ongoing systemic injustices committed against First Peoples in Victoria since colonisation, and the recommendations of the Commission seek to reform government processes, practices and policies. Treaty in Victoria is the embodiment of First Peoples’ self-determination and provides a path to negotiate the transfer of power and resources for First Peoples to control matters that impact their lives.

Victoria’s priorities under the VAAF and the SDRF are complemented by the commitments under the National Agreement. Victoria has more ambitious and comprehensive outcome-focused goals under the VAAF, over and above targets set under the National Agreement. The Victorian Government is developing Victoria’s new Implementation Plan in partnership with its formal implementation partner. The new Implementation Plan will outline the next phase of Victoria’s approach to achieving its commitments under the National Agreement and build on the actions progressed through the current Implementation Plan.

This is the sixth annual Report against the VAAF since its release in 2018 and for the fourth year, the Report embeds dedicated reporting on progress in Victoria to implement the National Agreement and Implementation Plan. The Report showcases the most up-to-date available data across the 111 measures in the VAAF and 19 socio-economic targets under the National Agreement. As detailed in the ‘About Data’ section of the Report, the latest year of available data varies due to the inconsistent frequency of data collection across a range of data sources. The Report also features case studies about the impact of reform and investment on the lives of First Peoples. The case studies focus on examples of policy and programs shaped by the Aboriginal Community Controlled sector.

The Report was developed through a coordinated and collaborative approach with input from Victorian Government departments and agencies. Many Aboriginal Governance Forums and Ngaweeyan Maar-oo, the Koorie Caucus of the Partnership Forum on Closing the Gap, also provided input.

About Data

Changes to the Victorian Government Ministry

There was a Cabinet reshuffle in December 2024, including changes to some portfolios and one new member.

Data collection and limitations

This Report provides the latest available information about how the Victorian Government is progressing against the six domains and 111 measures in the VAAF. The data reported provides an assessment of progress based on available data. Historical data may have been updated since the last edition of the Report.

Data has been sourced from a range of State and Commonwealth administrative collections and surveys. The latest year of available data varies across the Report due to the inconsistent frequency of collection of survey data. Several measures do not have updated data available for inclusion in this Report. Updated data for these measures will be included in future reports.

Some of the data reported against the VAAF measures does not directly align with the measure definition due to the limitations of available data.

Crude rates

Due to the large array of data sources used to calculate progress against each measure, most rate calculations used in this Report are crude rates. Where age standardised rates have been used, this has been noted in the Report.

Closing the Gap data

The National Agreement is underpinned by four Priority Reforms that have been directly informed by First Peoples. An overview of actions against the Priority Reforms are in the ‘Victoria’s approach to implementing the National Agreement on Closing the Gap’ section below. For a comprehensive list of actions, please refer to Closing the Gap Table A.

The National Agreement also includes 19 national socio-economic targets across 17 areas and requires a collaborative approach from all jurisdictions to achieve them. Assessments of progress against these targets are included on the overview page for each relevant VAAF goal based on the latest available data. Further data for some targets is expected to be released in July 2025.

There are data gaps for some targets and many supporting indicators due to data collection processes and under-reporting. Over time, as more data becomes available, the monitoring of the targets will provide greater insight into what progress is being made.

As Victoria is pursuing more ambitious and comprehensive goals under the VAAF than the targets set out under the National Agreement, many VAAF goals and measures do not have a counterpoint under the National Agreement for direct comparison.

Further information on national and jurisdictional progress towards the Closing the Gap targets, including data specifications, can be found at Federal Government's Closing the Gap Information Repository.

VAAF Data Dashboard

In line with the Victorian Government’s commitment in the VAAF to improve data access, transparency and narration, an interactive VAAF Data Dashboard (Data Dashboard) has been developed. The Data Dashboard can be accessed via the VAAF data dashboard.

The Data Dashboard offers a user-friendly platform to access detailed state-level data. It also includes disaggregated data at sub-state level where available. While this Report is limited to the data available during the reporting cycle, the Data Dashboard will be updated to report on measures when new data becomes available.

Indigenous Data Sovereignty

The Victorian Government acknowledges the critical importance of Indigenous Data Sovereignty. Resourcing Aboriginal people and organisations to collect, analyse, disseminate and manage data supports self-determination. The Productivity Commission’s review of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap also highlights the importance of Indigenous Data Sovereignty as a key enabler of self-determination and recognises Victoria as the only government to explicitly call for the National Agreement to address Indigenous Data Sovereignty. Indigenous Data Sovereignty is listed as a possible subject matter for negotiation under the Treaty Negotiation Framework.

Victorian Aboriginal Population

This Report uses revised population estimates for the Victorian Aboriginal cohort. Revised population estimates were released in 2024 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), based on 2021 Australian Census data. Estimates and projections presented in this release supersede estimates and projections based on earlier censuses. This includes back cast estimates for First Peoples between 2011 to 2020. For this reason, historical data included in this Report and data tables may differ to previous reporting years. More information on revising population estimates can be found on the ABS website.

Between the 2016 and 2021 Census of Australian Population and Housing (Census), the number of people who self-identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in Victoria grew from 47,788 to 65,646 (1.0 per cent of the total Victorian population).

Demographics

Based on the 2021 Census, 50 per cent of Aboriginal Victorians were under the age of 25.

Geography

Based on the 2021 Census, 50.5 per cent of Aboriginal Victorians lived in the greater Melbourne area. The Local Government Areas with the highest density Aboriginal population are located around regional centres, such as Greater Geelong, Greater Bendigo, Greater Shepparton and Mildura.