The timing could not have been more powerful. Just a day after the Victorian Premier introduced Australia’s first Treaty bill into parliament, a panel of First Peoples leaders and sector representatives gathered at the VicWater 2025 Annual Conference to discuss what Treaty and self-determination mean for the future of water.
Facilitated by Tiffany White of Yarra Valley Water, the panel featured Aunty Kym Monohan (Greater Western Water), Elly Patira (ESC Commissioner), Greg Robinson (Barwon Water), Glenn Pellegrin (South East Water) and Rueben Berg, Co-Chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria. Together, they explored how Treaty is not just a political process but a transformation of governance, culture and relationships across the water sector.
A new voice at the table
Aunty Kym set the tone by explaining the origins of the Baan dhum-djerring working group, meaning “let’s talk water,” which was formed to ensure First Nations voices were no longer sidelined. In its reformed structure, the group now guarantees majority First Nations membership, a First Nations chair, and clear principles to guide cultural safety and partnership. “Having a say in the way water is cared for and managed does not mean we want to take anyone else’s rights away,” she said. “It means sharing 65,000 years of knowledge and walking beside, not behind or ahead”.
Rueben Berg described the Treaty bill as a “great sense of relief” after decades of advocacy. The legislation will establish a statutory First Peoples Assembly with the authority to make rules, set cultural competency standards, and assume the risks that currently fall to government or utilities. For water, he pointed to the possibility of cultural water exchanges based not on money but on cultural value—like possum skins or ceremonial practices—overseen by First Peoples themselves.
Readiness, not waiting
For Greg Robinson at Barwon Water, Treaty readiness is about mindset as much as it is about process. “It’s a live opportunity to reshape how we work, how we relate and how we lead,” he said. He urged leaders to embed First Peoples’ experiences into strategies, pricing submissions and daily operations—while also recognising that reconciliation must evolve into regenerative relationships with Country and community.
Regulator Elly Patira stressed the ESC’s role in creating an “authorising environment” for investment in self-determined outcomes. She outlined how the next price submission period will require water businesses to embed engagement with Traditional Owners as rights holders, not just stakeholders. By 2032, she suggested, regulators may assess utilities not only on corporate performance but also on whether Traditional Owners themselves perceive the outcomes as just and equitable.
Inside utilities, cultural capability is central. Glenn Pellegrin argued that organisations must create culturally safe workplaces to retain and elevate Aboriginal staff, attract talent, and build confidence to engage authentically with Traditional Owners. “Nothing for us without us,” he reminded delegates.
Courage, conviction and listening
The discussion repeatedly returned to courage. Aunty Kym urged leaders to “stand up and be brave,” even in a risk-averse industry. Robinson added that leaders must connect with head, heart and gut—taking the work personally, not just professionally. For Berg, the challenge is for utilities to start now: to identify the opportunities Treaty offers and to prepare for conversations with multiple Traditional Owner groups, even where boundaries don’t align.
Audience questions highlighted complexities such as engaging with unrecognised Traditional Owner groups, or ensuring Aboriginal businesses are genuinely Aboriginal-owned. The panel’s advice was consistent: build relationships widely, listen deeply, and commit to transparency.
Closing the session, White echoed the theme of the day: Treaty is not something to wait for, but something to prepare for. It is a shared journey that requires readiness, openness and a willingness to walk beside First Peoples as equals.