I am proud to present Barring yana-ngali gadhaba - Victoria’s Closing the Gap Implementation Plan 2026–2031.
The Victorian Government’s nation-leading commitment to Treaty, Truth and Closing the Gap demonstrates our determination to confront the legacy of injustice and dispossession and the enduring harm of colonisation which has impacted the lives of Aboriginal people in Victoria for generations.
Barring yana-ngali gadhaba is a vital part of that commitment. It reflects an integrated vision for how the Victorian Government will work in partnership with the Aboriginal community to Close the Gap in the Treaty era. The landmark reforms being delivered through both the Treaty and truth-telling processes represent a significant step forward in the delivery of Victoria’s commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. Barring yana-ngali gadhaba will continue to build on that work - shifting away from business-as-usual approaches and placing Aboriginal self-determination at the heart of policy development, service design and implementation.
We know that lasting change is achieved when Aboriginal people lead the decisions that affect their lives. Barring yana-ngali gadhaba has been developed in close partnership with Ngaweeyan Maar-oo through an extensive co-design process over the past two years. I offer my profound thanks to every member of Ngaweeyan Maar-oo. Your collaboration in this process has ensured that the collective expertise, wisdom and deep understanding you hold of the needs, priorities and aspirations of Aboriginal communities across Victoria is reflected in this Implementation Plan and will continue to drive progress towards Closing the Gap over the next five years.
Barring yana-ngali gadhaba responds to the recommendations of the Productivity Commission’s review of the National Agreement, setting out a concrete, forward-looking vision for how we will deliver tangible progress under the National Agreement through 52 clear and deliverable actions. We will remain accountable to Community for delivering on this vision through regular public reporting and ongoing collaboration and shared leadership with Ngaweeyan Maar-oo and Gellung Warl.
The establishment of Gellung Warl and Nginma Ngainga Wara under the Statewide Treaty Act 2025 made Victoria the first jurisdiction in Australia to meet its commitment under the National Agreement to establish an independent mechanism to monitor and report on progress towards Closing the Gap.
Now that Victoria has entered the Treaty era, Closing the Gap has never been more important. The signing of Australia’s first Statewide Treaty was the result of generations of advocacy by Aboriginal people throughout Victoria – reflecting the long, steady path that the Victorian Government and Aboriginal people in Victoria have been walking for nearly a decade. Treaty represents a turning point in the relationship between government and Aboriginal people in Victoria, recognising the rightful place of Aboriginal people as decision-makers of their own futures and building the foundation for an enduring relationship built on respect, trust, accountability and integrity.
We know that Aboriginal community control is an act of self-determination, that Aboriginal people know what works best for their communities, and that a strong and sustainable ACCO sector is essential to Closing the Gap. We also know that strengthening the ACCO sector alone is not enough – delivering on government’s commitment to the structural transformation needed to Close the Gap requires clear and tangible action to drive system-wide reform. The establishment of Gellung Warl as the representative body for Aboriginal people in Victoria and Ngima Ngainga Wara as its accountability arm demonstrate the Victorian Government’s commitment to do what is needed to Close the Gap.
The ambitious program of work set out in Barring yana-ngali gadhaba will ensure that Closing the Gap is working hand-in-hand with Treaty to see the National Agreement’s vision of genuine partnership, shared-decision making and accountability transformed into action.
I offer my deepest thanks to the Community leaders who have offered their decades of collective expertise to make this Implementation Plan possible. Through Treaty, Truth and Closing the Gap we will work together to build a stronger, fairer future for Aboriginal people and all Victorians.
Gabrielle Williams MP
Minister for First Peoples
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