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| Aboriginal Health Council of Tasmania | |
|---|---|
| Name | Aboriginal Health Council of Tasmania |
| Formation | 1990s |
| Type | Not-for-profit organisation |
| Headquarters | Hobart, Tasmania |
| Region served | Tasmania |
| Leader title | Chair |
Aboriginal Health Council of Tasmania is a Tasmanian Aboriginal community-controlled peak body representing health interests of Tasmanian Aboriginal peoples across urban and regional contexts. It engages with Australian, Tasmanian and local institutions to deliver culturally safe primary care, social and wellbeing programs, and to influence public policy affecting health equity. The organisation collaborates with Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners to implement services across communities including Hobart, Launceston, Burnie and rural Tasmanian localities.
The organisation emerged amid national Indigenous self-determination movements alongside institutions such as National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory, Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and regional bodies like South Australian Aboriginal Health Partnership. Its formation drew on precedents including the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody recommendations and the policy environment shaped by the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and the Closing the Gap framework. Early engagement occurred with Tasmanian entities such as the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Tasmanian Government, and local councils in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie. The Council’s evolution paralleled national events like the Mabo v Queensland (No 2) decision and the Native Title Act 1993, informing community governance and service delivery models used by organisations such as Aboriginal Medical Service Redfern and Broome Aboriginal Medical Service.
The peak body operates under a board model influenced by community-controlled governance seen at Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, Nunkuwarrin Yunti of South Australia, and KALACC. Its constitution reflects principles promoted by Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care and reporting practices familiar to entities like Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Australian Bureau of Statistics. Leadership roles include a Chair, CEO, and program managers who liaise with agencies such as the Department of Health (Australia), Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Tasmanian Department of Health. The Council maintains governance links with regional Aboriginal organisations including the Cape Barren Island Community, Palawa community organisations, and services modeled after Ngaanyatjarra Health Service governance. Accountability mechanisms include engagement with forums like the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Annual General Meeting and stakeholders like the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Programs mirror culturally informed primary health, chronic disease management, and maternal and child health programs found in services like Redfern Aboriginal Medical Service and Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation. Clinical services collaborate with public hospitals such as Royal Hobart Hospital and Launceston General Hospital, and allied services including Aboriginal Legal Service referrals and partnerships with SNAICC – National Voice for Our Children programs. Preventive health initiatives align with campaigns from Heart Foundation, Diabetes Australia, and national immunisation efforts coordinated with Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. Social and wellbeing offerings reference models from Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council (SA), Northern Territory Aboriginal Health Service programs, and community arts partnerships akin to Ilbijerri Theatre Company and Black Theatre Company (Western Australia).
The Council engages in advocacy similar to interventions by National Congress of Australia's First Peoples, Lowitja Institute, and policy submissions to the Productivity Commission and the Parliament of Australia committees. It contributes to state-level inquiries and collaborates with law and justice stakeholders like the Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service and submissions to inquiries such as the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. It aligns with national policy dialogues involving Closing the Gap Refresh, the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and health frameworks advocated by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework contributors.
The organisation partners with tertiary institutions including the University of Tasmania, University of Melbourne, and research bodies such as the Lowitja Institute, Menzies School of Health Research, and Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. Collaborative projects have engaged with hospital networks including Tasmanian Health Service, community legal services like Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement, and philanthropic entities such as the Ian Potter Foundation and Paul Ramsay Foundation. It liaises with Indigenous education bodies such as ATSICHS-type providers, vocational organisations like TAFE Tasmania, and national peak bodies including Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association.
Funding sources include state allocations through the Tasmanian Treasury and federal programs administered by the Department of Health (Australia), alongside grant partnerships with philanthropic organisations like the Myer Foundation and federal competitive grants referenced in the Indigenous Advancement Strategy. Financial oversight reflects standards used by organisations such as ACNC and auditing practices familiar to entities like Australian National Audit Office for federally funded recipients. Resource strategies mirror those implemented by Aboriginal community-controlled health services receiving Medicare Benefits Schedule items and National Health Funding Pool disbursements.
The Council reports outcomes in domains comparable to impact evaluations by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, AIHW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health publications, and research from the Menzies School of Health Research and Lowitja Institute. Measured benefits include improved access to culturally safe primary care, reduced hospital readmissions analogous to outcomes reported by Aboriginal Medical Service Redfern, and enhanced community engagement consistent with findings in studies by the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet and Kirby Institute. Its advocacy has contributed to state policy shifts highlighted in Tasmanian parliamentary discussions and intergovernmental forums such as the Council of Australian Governments.
Category:Organisations serving Indigenous Australians Category:Health in Tasmania