Become a member

Our goals

Our goal is to bring together the voices, expertise, and experiences of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sectors and provide legitimate community-controlled representation to the partnership with Australian governments on Closing the Gap to improve the life outcomes of our people by:

• Sharing decisions with governments on policies and programs impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

• Protecting and promoting the status and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First People of Australia, with distinct cultures and languages, as part of Closing the Gap.

• Ensuring the shared decisions with governments are informed by the needs and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, community-controlled organisations, and people.

• Driving increased accountability of all governments for the commitments in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

Our objectives

• Change the way Australian governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, organisations, and communities on Closing the Gap through partnerships based on our right to self-determination, shared decision-making, and equal participation.

• Strengthen and build the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector to provide a greater proportion of the service to our people.

• Pursue the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, organisations, and communities to have access to all relevant data and information.

We support a respectful, consensus-first approach to decision making.

Members must try to reach consensus, that is, general agreement on issues, and all decisions must further the principles and objectives of the Coalition of Peaks.

The consensus-first approach requires Members to:

• Generate proposals by collaboration.

• Identify any questions or concerns about proposals.

• Consider modifying proposals if that will achieve consensus.

• Make good faith attempts to reach full agreement, even if this is not always achievable.

Membership of the Coalition of Peaks provides an opportunity to:

• Join a unified basis through which to engage with governments.

• Contribute the voice, expertise, and experiences of your members to provide legitimate community-controlled representation to the partnership with Australian governments on Closing the Gap to improve the life outcomes for our people.

• Share in decision-makingd with governments on policies and programs impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

• Ensure that the shared decisions with governments are informed by the needs and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, community-controlled organisations, and people.

• Drive increased accountability of all governments

• Have a say in the policy, strategy, and governance of the Coalition of Peaks.

• Advertise jobs and significant events and activities through Coalition of Peaks channels.

To join the Coalition of Peaks, the following criteria must be met:

• The peak organisation is committed to being a contributing member of the Coalition of Peaks to implement fully its National Agreement on Closing the Gap with the Council of Australian Governments.

• The peak organisation has responsibilities for policies, programs, or services that support Closing the Gap.

• The peak organisation’s members and directors are all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander persons, or at a minimum a majority of its members and directors are, including the Chairperson.

• The peak organisation has a Board that is elected/nominated by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander individuals, communities and/or organisations which are accountable to that membership.

• The peak organisation is operational, is solvent, compliant with all regulating legislation, is not under investigation by a government body, and is otherwise of good reputation.

• The peak organisation has reviewed the Coalition of Peaks Terms of Reference for its Governance and Operations and is committed to complying with requirements.

The application form will ask for confirmation of the above membership criteria, along with the following:

• Level at which your organisation operates as a peak (national, state, territory).

• Details of policies, programs, or services offered that support Closing the Gap.

• Supporting documentation, such as your organisation’s Rule Book, Constitution, Enabling Legislation, or Terms of Reference (if not incorporated).

• Head office address and contact details

• Chairperson’s name

• Executive Officer’s name and contact details