After more than two decades of advocacy from survivors and their families, the Victorian Government have committed to a Stolen Generations redress scheme.
The $155million redress package announced on Thursday will be accessible for Aboriginal Victorians removed from their families before 1977.
Coming 25-years after the Bringing Them Home Report, some survivors feel it may be too little, too late.
Survivors can access compensation up to $100,000, with the scheme also providing access to healing and reconnection to Country programs and a personal apology from the Victorian government.
However, the package is only available for those removed from their families in the state of Victoria, before December 31, 1976.
First Nations Foundation Chairperson, Ian Hamm, (Rotary Melbourne member) who was removed from his family at just three-weeks old, said the scheme doesn’t work to support all survivors.
"This scheme is built around where the act of removal itself happened. That’s in Victoria, so the financial component is for those who were removed in Victoria,” said the Yorta Yorta man.
"But we have many people from interstate who live in this state, they are a part of our Aboriginal community, they belong to us, they have full access to all the services and the support."
In announcing the redress package, Victorian Premier Dan Andrews acknowledged the advocacy of survivors.
“To retell stories, to relive those difficult experiences, to share the burden that is carried by so many Aboriginal Victorian members of the Stolen Generations, every hour of every day is not an easy thing to do,” he said.
“It’s fundamentally generous because it help’s non-Aboriginal people understand the damage that was done and the distance we are yet to travel towards truth, justice, healing and treaty.”
