National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)

The Coalition of Peaks is a representative body comprised of around fifty Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled peak organisations that have come together to be partners with Australian governments on closing the gap, a policy aimed at improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

In 2016, Australian governments wanted to refresh the closing the gap policy which had been in place for ten years.  During this refresh process, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations told governments that we needed to have a formal say on the design, implementation and evaluation of programs, services and policies that affect us.

In March 2019, the Coalition of Peaks entered an historic formal Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap with the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) which sets out shared decision making on Closing the Gap.  Together, it has been agreed to develop a new National Agreement on Closing the Gap, to be signed by COAG and the Coalition of Peaks, which will set out joint actions over the next ten years to help improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Coalition of Peaks, in partnership with governments, led an engagement process across the country in 2019 to inform the development of the Agreement.  During this time nearly 1700 individuals responded to an online survey and more than 2300 individuals participated in almost 70 face-to-face meetings held in cities, regional towns and remote communities in every state and territory.

The Coalition of Peaks are changing the way governments work with us and are working to ensure that the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is front and centre in all decision making on Closing the Gap.

Click here for further information on the outcomes of the Closing the Gap Community Engagements.

Representatives from the Coalition of Peaks have met with the Prime Minister, the Minister for Indigenous Australians and other Ministers with key responsibilities for closing the gap to discuss their formal partnership and progress in developing a new National Agreement on Closing the Gap. The communique from the meeting is available here

Please don't hesitate to contact the Coalition of Peaks for more information at info@coalitionofpeaks.org.au