Role
The National Carer Strategy Advisory Committee was first established in April 2024. Committee members advised on and provided valuable feedback throughout the development of the National Carer Strategy 2024–2034 and Action Plan 2024–2027. The committee was dissolved in December 2024.
The committee was re-established in February 2025 as an interim committee until a new Carer Advisory Committee is established. This is required by Action Plan Commitment 4, Action Item 4.1. It is expected the Carer Advisory Committee will be in place before 31 December 2025. The committee oversees the monitoring, evaluation and reviews of the strategy.
Terms of reference
Committee members met on 14 March 2025 and endorsed the Terms of Reference.
Members
The Department of Social Services selected members of the committee through an open expression of interest process.
The committee currently consists of 2 co-chairs and 12 members from the carer community and carer advocacy and support sector. Members represent a broad range of unpaid carers, including carers from diverse cultures, ethnicities, ages, sexuality and from different regions across Australia.
| Member | Role | Region | Background and experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meredith Coote | Co-chair | Eora country – NSW | Chair of the Women Who Care Program and the Carers Inclusive Workplace committee. Meredith is a carer and mother of a young person with chronic mental illness and has 39 years of experience working in social care with vulnerable people across NSW government, not for profit and private sectors. |
| Hope Peisley | Co-chair | Ngunnawal country – ACT | Group Manager – Disability and Carer Programs, Department of Social Services, with responsibility for carer policy, including the National Carer Strategy and Carer Gateway. |
| Beverley Benporath | Member | Noongar country – WA | National President of The Partners of Veterans Association of Australia (PVA). Advocating for members, young partners, and families of defence and ex-defence personnel, providing support to enhance their quality of life. |
| Helen Bondaruk | Member | Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung country – VIC | Full-time long-term carer for elderly parent, with extensive government experience, particularly in the multicultural area, identifying the needs of diverse background clients and brokering positive outcomes. Member of the Ukrainian community and Secretary of the Ukrainian Orthodox Parish Council in Melbourne, caring for many recently arrived Ukrainian refugees. Current Member of Consumer Advisory Board of the Australian Multicultural and Community Services organisation. |
| Madeleine Buchner OAM | Member | Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung country – VIC | Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Little Dreamers, globally recognised advocate for young carers, and a community leader with lived experience caring for various family members. |
| Philip Coller | Member | Dharug Country – NSW | Worked in the community services sector with disability, aged care and carer services for over 40 years and a member of Mental Health Carers and Carers NSW. |
| Kerrie Franc | Member | Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung country – VIC | Carer of child with a genetic condition, founder of Supports Finder and consumer member of Royal Children’s Hospital Consumer Advisory Committee, Royal Children’s Hospital Serious Advent Review Committee, Victorian Paediatric Steering Network, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Disability Mental Health Group. An advocate for regional and rural areas for healthcare, disability and carer rights. |
| David Gibson (He/Him) | Member | Noongar country – WA | Chair of GLBTI Rights in Ageing Inc., pansexual member of the LGBTQIA+ community, with lived experience as a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA) and carer to a person with dementia. Possesses extensive experience working with and advising the government on issues affecting diverse communities. |
| Andrzej Kowaluk | Member | Nipaluna country – TAS | A retired teacher, principal and educationalist. Currently a carer who volunteers for several community organisations. |
| Philip Martin | Member | Kaurna country – SA | Retired Director of the board of Carers SA, contributed to the development and implementation of the Carer Gateway and has extensive experience in the community services sector heading substantial service and system reform in disability, health and carer supports. |
| Lachlan Rowe | Member | Larrakia country – NT | The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists SA/NT Branch Secretary and Mental Health, Disability and Older People Advocate who identifies as LGBTQIA+ with a disability. He received a commendation from the NT Disability Inclusion Awards for Excellence in Rights Promotion (2023). |
| Annabel Reid | Member | Ngunnawal country – ACT | Lived experience carer and Chief Executive Officer of Carers Australia, extensive experience working with and advising government. |
| Jane Rowan | Member | Turrbal and Jaggera country – QLD | Executive Director of Eating Disorders Families Australia, with 6 years of experience caring for her daughter with Anorexia Nervosa. Founder of a support group for parents of individuals with substance dependency. Member of Lived Experience Advisory Group to the Australian Eating Disorders Research and Translation Centre and, appointed to the e-Safety Commissioner's expert advisory panel. |
| Kyaw Naing 'John' Yusuf | Member | Larrakia country – NT | Care Support Planner and formed the Young Carer Advisory Committee - voice of CALD youths and the community. An advocate for the interests and perspectives of mental health carers at the federal level. |
Meetings
The committee currently meets quarterly.
Updates
Find updates on this committee on the National Library of Australia's web archive.