About the Act
The Aboriginal Lands Act 1991 (Vic) (ALA 1991) granted freehold title over three Aboriginal burial sites at the former Coranderrk, Ebenezer and Ramahyuck Missions to:
- Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation;
- Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Co-Operative (Goolum Goolum); and
- Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co- Operative (GEGAC), respectively.
About the Review
In 2018, the government committed to reviewing the ALA 1991 to promote Aboriginal self-determination and empower Aboriginal organisations to freely exercise their land rights.
The Review of the Aboriginal Lands Act 1991 final report (ALA 1991 Review) contained three recommendations, including two legislative recommendations to enable the titleholders and Traditional Owners of the Ebenezer and Ramahyuck Mission Cemeteries to self-determine the future transfer and use of their respective cemetery sites.
The ALA 1991 Review further recommended that all references to the Coranderrk Mission Cemetery remain unchanged.
In December 2023, the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples' reponse to the Review of the Aboriginal Lands Act 1991 (Vic) was released and all review recommendations were supported in full.
About the Reform
The Aboriginal Land Legislation Amendment Act 2024 is now operational. The Amendment Act makes changes to the ALA 1991 by removing the Transfer Restriction and Use Restriction for the Ebeneezer Mission Cemetery and Ramahyuck Mission Cemetery in line with the aspirations of the titleholders and Traditional Owners for these two sites.
This means that, from 1 January 2025 onwards, the current titleholders - Goolum Goolum and GEGAC – are able to transfer the title of the land to the Traditional Owner group of that area.
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