Gellung Warl and Treaty belong to Community
The authority of Gellung Warl and the First Peoples’ Assembly Members comes from the First Peoples it represents, where Assembly Members are elected by Community, and from the responsibilities carried by Country, Culture and Community.
Gellung Warl and larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk are part of a continuing story of First Peoples’ self-determination, resistance and responsibilities. This authority has emerged from the Creation, a story as old as time, of the first footsteps that brushed Country, of our sovereignty. We hold this authority in our collective strength and in our Future Dreaming.
larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk establishes how Gellung Warl remains connected to, accountable and answerable to Community. It is and must always be grounded in Aboriginal Lore, Law and Cultural Authority.
Being accountable and answerable to Community is about maintaining relationships, listening with Community, carrying Community’s knowledge and aspirations into the work of Gellung Warl, and returning to Community to show the work that has been done.
There are four distinct elements that each come together to form larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk:
1
Ngarrakeetoong Martongakeeyt (Community Vision): identifies the aspirations of Community in the Treaty-Era, and sets the goals and objectives of Gellung Warl to achieve these aspirations.
Where we are going
2
larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk (community answerability) principles guide Gellung Warl’s answerability and accountability to Community, and how engagement with Community must
be conducted.
How we carry ourseleves
3
A self-determined Community Engagement Charter, called the Community Connections Charter, sets out Gellung Warl’s commitment to how it will implement larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk principles and how engagement will be conducted.
How we remain connected to community
4
A Stragetic Plan sets out the strategic direction, objectives and agenda that Gellung Warl will work in line with in order to hold true to, support and advance Ngarrakeetoong Martongakeeyt (Community
Vision).
What we will do
The principles and practices of respect for Aboriginal Lore, Law and Cultural Authority, deep listening, autonomous regard, and individual and collective responsibility are intrinsic to First Peoples ways of knowing, being and doing. They are reflected here in larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk.
Larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk will operate as a continuous cycle. Together, these elements provide the relationships between where we are going, how we carry ourselves, how we remain connected to Community, and what we will do – guided by Community’s voice.
larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk means ‘Community account, reckon, truth’ in Djab Wurrung language. See pronunciation guide here.
Returning to Community
We’ve Listened, We’ve Heard
Larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk has been developed by and with Community. Your voices, knowledge and aspirations for a better future for our peoples in the Treaty-Era have guided and shaped every part of this very first version. It speaks to the path laid down by Community, on how Assembly Members remain connected, as well as being answerable and accountable to Community.
Larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk is not new – it is part of a 10-year story. It is the story of what Community have been saying over the last 10 years to guide Treaty, and it is what was heard from Community when Assembly Members yarned with them about answerability, accountability, and what was captured.
The First Peoples’ Assembly Chamber have officially adopted larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk on Tuesday 20 October 2026, commencing with a ceremony that took place on Wadawurrung Country.
Community Contributing to its Development
Since Gellung Warl begun in May 2026, Assembly Members were planning answerability and accountability. This involved collating feedback and information heard from Community over the last 10 years, determining how Community were describing their vision, and what the specific goals and objectives of Gellung Warl need to be, and how it should align with that vision. This led to the first understanding of what larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk could look like, which Assembly Members began yarning with Community about.
Across August and September 2026, we yarned with 1,042 Community members:
- There were 252 responses from Community members who completed the Survey on our website; and
- 78 Member Forms were submitted by Assembly Members giving feedback on yarning and engagements they were having in Community. Throughout this short period Assembly Members spoke to over 790 Community members yarning about larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk.
Community feedback showed strong support for Ngarrakeetoong Martongakeeyt, with most of the Community saying that the vision reflected their aspirations. Gellung Warl’s Strategic Plan was then developed to align with Ngarrakeetoong Martongakeeyt. Community wanted to see more focus on young people within sowing the seeds, as they are the most important seeds we need to invest in. This was incorporated in this first version.
Community feedback also showed strong support for the larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk principles. Community wanted to include stronger references to the two-way relationship of Community and Assembly Members, and this was incorporated in this first version. Community described what good engagement should look like, the forms of engagements, the need to consider practical barriers to engagements, and the need to close the loop with Community. This was incorporated in this first version.
Community welcomed the community-centred, culturally grounded framing throughout, identifying clear opportunities to strengthen accountability on how Community input shapes decisions. Community also made it clear that larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk would need to be reviewed and updated with further Community input.
Larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk is a living, breathing document
Assembly Members will continue to yarn with Community welcoming your feedback on larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk. Community feedback and suggestions on how to strengthen answerability and accountability will contribute to the way larbargirrar gnuurtak tulkuuk is applied, and what is included in the next version.
If you have any feedback now, or want to learn more, reach out to your elected Assembly Member or email [email protected]