Australia’s Disability Strategy Advisory Council
Australia’s Disability Strategy Advisory Council (the Advisory Council) was established in December 2021 when Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 (the Strategy) was launched.
All members of the Advisory Council are people with disability.
The Advisory Council’s role and work
The Advisory Council’s role is to advise Australian governments and disability ministers on the Strategy’s implementation. It is responsible for reviewing and advising on progress of Strategy features that aim to drive actions and improvements for people with disability, including:
- Targeted Action Plans
- Outcomes Framework
- Associated Plans
- Strategy reports and reviews
The Advisory Council provides its advice to all levels of government including the Australian, state, territory and local governments. This is because all governments signed up to the Strategy and are involved in implementing it.
The Advisory Council has a direct connection to disability ministers, with the Council Chair to attend at least one disability ministers meeting each year.
Over time, the Advisory Council will establish connections with other disability advisory groups such as state and territory disability advisory councils and the Independent Advisory Council to the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
The Advisory Council are scheduled to meet five times in 2023, with out-of-session meetings as required. It has started reviewing the Strategy’s Targeted Action Plans, and the first Targeted Action Plan progress report.
The Advisory Council provided input into the Strategy’s inaugural National Forum held in November 2022, with the report due to be published in early-mid 2023.
Advisory Council documents
As it becomes available, the Advisory Council’s work will be published on this website.
Advisory Council Terms of Reference
Advisory Council meeting Communiques
Membership
The Advisory Council is made up of 11 positions, which includes the Chair and four state and territory disability council positions. The Advisory Council also has two special adviser positions.
The current membership status of six members includes the Chair, in addition to two special advisers.
Members are drawn from a range of states and territories. Sub-groups of the Advisory Council are set up as required.
The Council membership is made up entirely of people with disability, and includes women; First Nations people; culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people; young people; and people with lived experience of rural and remote communities.
The membership provides a good mix of experienced people and people new to an advisory role that can provide a ‘fresh voice’.
The special advisers have Australian Government experience, experience in Commonwealth and State relations and a background in disability policy. The special advisers support the Council members by advising on government relations and relevant policy.
|
Role |
Name |
Position |
Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Chair |
Dr Ben Gauntlett |
Disability Discrimination Commissioner |
Australian Human Rights Commission |
|
Member |
Jane Spring |
Chair
Co-opted Councillor |
University of Sydney Sports Foundation
Institute of Public Administration Australia |
|
Member |
Liz Reid AM |
Executive Officer |
YouthWorX NT |
|
Member |
Seriako Stephen |
Board member |
First Peoples Disability Network Australia |
|
Member |
Natalie Wade |
Principal Lawyer |
Equality Lawyers |
|
Member |
Cindy Liu |
Founder and Co-Chair |
Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network/s Youth Disability CaLD Collective |
|
Special adviser |
Kathy Hough |
Chief Executive Officer |
Far North Community Services |
|
Special adviser |
Helen McDevitt |
Chair |
ACT Disability, Aged and Carers Advocacy Service |
