National Autism Strategy Oversight Council

The National Autism Strategy Oversight Council guided the development of the National Autism Strategy.

Purpose and role

The Oversight Council guided the development of the National Autism Strategy. The roles and responsibilities of the Oversight Council members have now concluded.

The Oversight Council oversaw the co-design work of 4 working groups to develop and implement the National Autism Strategy.

Membership

Membership was announced in May 2023.

The Oversight Council included 8 autistic community and sector members and 2 research and professional sector members. Council members helped ensure the National Autism Strategy was grounded in evidence and informed by the experiences of Autistic people. The make-up of the Council included:

  • an autistic co-chair
  • a majority of members from the Autistic community
  • sector representatives
  • researchers
  • senior officials from relevant Australian Government departments.

Co-chairs

Autistic co-chair of the council, Mrs Clare Gibellini

Mr Luke Mansfield – Department of Social Services

Members

Oversight Council members were selected through an open expression of interest (EOI) process, which closed in March 2023. The Hon Amanda Rishworth MP made the final selection from a shortlist. The EOI was conducted by Disability Representative Organisations and Autism CRC who sought nominations from the autistic community and sector, and research and professional sector.

  • Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro (Research and professional and Autistic community sector member)
  • Renay Barker-Mulholland (Autistic community and sector member)
  • Mrs Victoria Gottliebsen (Research and professional sector member and Autistic community sector member)
  • Ms Jenny Karavolos (Autism community and sector member)
  • Mr Sebastian Langdon-Macmillan (Autistic community and sector member)
  • Ms Heidi La Paglia Reid (Autistic community and sector member)
  • Mr Andrew Pfeiffer (Autistic community and sector member)
  • Andrew Shim (Autistic community and sector member)
  • Charl Fourie (Autistic community and sector member)

Australian Government representatives included: 

  • Ms Samantha Taylor – National Disability Insurance Agency
  • Ms Amber Shuyta – Department of Health and Aged Care
  • Mr Cain Beckett – Department of Education
  • Ms Greta Doherty – Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
  • Ms Nadine Groney – Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

The Oversight Council and each Working Group was co-chaired by senior government official and an Autistic community and sector member.

The Working Groups comprised approximately 70 members representing diverse intersectionality ensuring the inclusion of the diverse Autistic community. 

Learn more about the National Autism Strategy.

Meetings

The first meeting of the Oversight Council was convened on 2 May 2023 and the last meeting was held on 14 August 2024.

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