Details are emerging of an agreement between the state government and Indigenous groups that will reportedly sideline ten Victorian councils from certain decisions.
News.com.au exclusively reports that the agreement proposes to give the groups powers to rename roads, bridges and public spaces, co-manage waterways, and provide preferential access to council procurement contracts and jobs.
The affected councils are Mildura, West Wimmera, Northern Grampians, Southern Grampians, Buloke, Hindmarsh, Pyrenees, Yarriambiack, Horsham and Ararat.
They say they were not included in any of the negotiations for the agreement, which was signed last year, but details of which have only emerged in recent weeks.
The government says the deal doesn’t impact current laws and regulations, but rather presents an aspirational list of matters that traditional owners would like to work on with councils.