COMMUNIQUÉ
20 MAY 2026
AMSANT Board Meeting, Garramilla (Darwin)
The AMSANT Board acknowledges the Larrakia people, the Traditional Owners of the land on which this meeting was held in Garramilla (Darwin) and pays respects to Elders past and present. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the Northern Territory.
Welcome to the first AMSANT Board Communiqué of 2026. This communiqué provides an update following the AMSANT Board meeting held on 20 May 2026.
Welcome to CEO Donna Ah Chee and Deputy CEO Steve Rossingh
The AMSANT Board warmly welcomes Donna Ah Chee as Chief Executive Officer and Steve Rossingh as Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Donna joins AMSANT following more than 26 years at Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, including over a decade as CEO, where she led significant growth in the organisation and the Aboriginal community-controlled health sector.
Steve joins AMSANT from Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation, bringing extensive experience from the East Arnhem region. The Board looks forward to working alongside Donna and Steve as AMSANT continues to advocate for and support the ACCHS sector across the Northern Territory.
Accelerated Pathways to Community Control
The Board endorsed the vision, purpose and role of the Accelerated Pathways to Community Control (AP2CC) project, marking an important step forward in accelerating the transition of NT Government clinics to community control.
AP2CC is a key priority under the AMSANT and NTAHF Strategic Plan and is now being led by two new members of the Policy team. The Board acknowledged the work undertaken to date and looks forward to continued progress over the coming year.
AMSANT will update its AP2CC webpage in the coming months with further information.
Members’ needs and priorities project
The Board received an update on the Members’ Needs and Priorities Project, a key strategic initiative to ensure AMSANT’s work reflects and responds to member priorities. The project has included extensive consultation across member services and is now progressing through validation and prioritisation, with further engagement underway to inform recommendations and a final report later this year.
AMSANT policy position project
The Board received an update on the AMSANT Policy Position Project, which aims to strengthen advocacy through a clear, consistent and systematic suite of policy positions. This includes consolidating existing positions and establishing processes for development, review and ongoing updates.
Aboriginal Health Authority of the Northern Territory
The Board reiterated its commitment to ongoing advocacy for a statutory Aboriginal Health Authority of the Northern Territory to provide a single source of long-term block funding for ACCHSs based on need, as a key structural reform to reduce funding fragmentation and reporting burden.
AMSANT and NT PHN
The Board noted positive progress in AMSANT’s engagement with the Northern Territory Primary Health Network (NT PHN), including regular monthly leadership meetings and constructive dialogue on shared priorities. Greater clarity is emerging on joint work, including the Menzies research project, and AMSANT looks forward to strengthening this relationship.
Federal and NT Budgets
The Board noted the recent Federal and Northern Territory budgets and welcomed positive measures for Aboriginal health in the Federal budget, including the new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Schedule under the National Health Reform Agreement.
Diphtheria outbreak
At the time of the Board meeting, the diphtheria outbreak in the Northern Territory had reached 155 cases, with additional cases reported since. Environmental health factors are contributing to transmission, and further work is needed to support vaccine confidence and education across the sector. AMSANT will continue to work with members and government on a coordinated response.
Additional information:
At the time of publication, based on the latest CDC report, cases had reached 196 as at 4 June 2026. Access the latest information from the Northern Territory Government.
National Health Reform Agreement
The Board noted the new National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA) covering 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2031, including provisions relevant to ACCHSs and Aboriginal health in the NT, and the establishment of the Monitoring and Accountability Group (MAG).
In addition to current advocacy positions, the Board has requested advocacy for an additional KPI measuring the number of Aboriginal Liaison Officers in hospital wards relative to episodes of Aboriginal care.
Assignment of Benefits and pathology Medicare arrangements
The Board endorsed advocacy to the Commonwealth to retain current arrangements whereby patient signatures are not required on MBS bulk billing claims or pathology request forms in ACCHSs in the NT, recognising strong sector compliance systems.
NNPG representation
The Board elected Rebecca Bond, CEO of Sunrise Health Service, to represent AMSANT on the NT Government NGO Partnership Group (NNPG). The Board congratulates Rebecca on this appointment.
Research subcommittee
1. Research moratorium
The Board agreed to a moratorium on new AMSANT research participation until the end of 2026 to allow consolidation of priorities and strengthen governance.
2. Research strategy and framework
The Board received an update on the Research Strategy and Framework project, which is progressing through consultation and development phases. A final strategy will be presented to the Board later in the year.
Operational reports for members
The Board agreed that AMSANT’s operational reports, which summarise activities across teams, will be shared with member services.
Finance, Risk and Audit (FRAC) Subcommittee
1. Financial position
The Board reviewed AMSANT’s financial position and noted the organisation remains in a sound position, with a solvency ratio of 1.56.
Upcoming AMSANT member events
The AMSANT Conference has been deferred until 2027 to allow time for broader organisational planning.
A General Members Meeting (GMM) will be held in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) on 12–13 August 2026. The GMM will run for a full day on 12 August and a half day on 13 August. Venue details will be confirmed shortly. This will provide an important opportunity for members to come together and focus on key sector priorities.
Next meeting
The next meeting of the AMSANT Board of Directors will be held on 11 August 2026 in Mparntwe (Alice Springs).
— End of communiqué —