Pat Turner steps down as Lead Convenor of the Coalition of Peaks
Pat Turner AM, the daughter of an Arrente man and a Gurdanji woman, is stepping down as the elected leader of the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community-Controlled Peaks, as she retires from public working life as the CEO of the National Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO).
Across the Australian Public Service, national Indigenous organisations and the community-controlled sector, including as CEO of ATSIC, she has consistently advanced one core belief: that communities have both the right and the capacity to lead their own futures.
It was Pat Turner AM, supported by the Coalition of Peaks, who proposed the Closing the Gap Agreement agreed by all Australian Governments – a clear statement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, calling for governments to work in a new way to:
share decisions with us on policies and programs that impact on our lives
build the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector
transform government organisations so they work better for our people
share data and information with our communities to support the decisions on our futures.
The outgoing Lead Convenor said it had been a difficult decision to make and something she had been considering for a few months now.
“I am proud of the work I have done together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders in taking the historic and fundamental step forward under the Closing the Gap Agreement; where decision making is shared, and our expertise and experiences of our people is fully recognised,” Ms Turner said.
Last year a landmark independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led review validated what our communities have long said: when governments listen, share power, and act in partnership, change follows.
Ms Turner said she is proud of what the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector has been able to deliver under the Closing the Gap Agreement.
Lives are beginning to change
More of our people and communities are able to access culturally safe services delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations
There are more jobs and more of our people are employed in our own organisations
Aboriginal Registered Training Organisations are being recognised and better funded
More Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are living in safer, more suitable housing, and homelands in the NT are being recognised and supported in partnership with our own expert community-controlled housing organisations
“Because of that Agreement, and the unity and collective strength of the Coalition of Peaks, we are beginning to shift the course for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the country.” Ms Turner said. “This is my legacy I leave for my people.”
All our voices are being heard because of the largest coming together of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations in our history, through the Coalition of Peaks expertly led by Pat from the beginning, creating a powerful platform for collective leadership and self-determination.
The Coalition of Peaks has endorsed Donnella Mills as the new Lead Convenor, to serve until 30 June 2027 when the Coalition of Peaks will have their open election process for all convenor roles.
Donnella Mills is a proud Torres Strait Islander woman with ancestral and family links to Masig and Nagir. She has a long history supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health services in Cairns and is currently a Director of the Board of Kambu Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Health and the Chair of NACCHO.
She signed the Uluru Statement from the Heart and also has a deep personal commitment to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. She has been involved in the work of the Coalition of Peaks since its inception, attending the Joint Council and is a member of a number of policy partnerships under the National Agreement.