Australian Government: Attorney-General's Department
Australian Government: Attorney-General's DepartmentAchieving a Just and Secure Society

National Peak Overseas Adoption Support Group

On 30 March 2008, the Attorney-General, the Hon Robert McClelland MP, announced the appointees to the National Peak Overseas Adoption Support Group.

The Peak Support Group will provide a national voice to Government and work to ensure that the intercountry adoption community in Australia is well represented.

The establishment of a Peak Support Group was a key recommendation of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family and Human Services’ 2005 Report, Overseas Adoption in Australia. The structure and nominations for the Peak Support Group followed extensive consultation with the adoption community in 2007. 

Terms of Reference

The Terms of Reference for the Group are to:

  • provide advice on intercountry adoption matters referred by the Attorney-General or the Attorney-General’s Department
  • provide advice to the Attorney-General or the Attorney-General’s Department on issues of relevance to the intercountry adoption community as identified by the Group, in consultation with the intercountry adoption community, and
  • inform the intercountry adoption community of the issues being considered by the Group, where appropriate.

Membership

National Peak Overeseas Adoption Support Group 21 May 2008 (Mark Byrne does not appear in the photograph)

The membership of the Group is as follows:

Representatives for New South Wales:

  • Dr Gary Banks
  • Mrs Ricky Brisson

Representatives for Victoria:

  • Ms Aileen Berry
  • Mrs Marilyn Nagesh

Representatives for Queensland:

  • Mr Richard Hughes
  • Mr Mark Byrne

Representatives for Western Australia:

  • Mrs Sonya Mahoney 
  • Ms Eun Bryan

Representatives for South Australia:

  • Ms Helen Edwards
  • Mr Mark Stewart

Representative for Tasmania:

  • Mr John Ford

Representative for the Australian Capital Territory:

  • Ms Julia Rollings

Representative for the Northern Territory:

  • Ms Julie Rankin

Other Representatives including:

  • Ms Lynelle Beveridge – adoptee community representative
  • Dr Lucy Burns – professional community representative, and
  • Ms Marianne Saliba – former public office-holder with experience in development and implementation of government policy.

Contact details for individual members [DOC 31KB]
Contact details for individual members [PDF 20KB]

Contacting the National Peak Overseas Adoption Support Group

General enquiries for the Peak Support Group can be directed to the Attorney-General’s Department Secretariat at the following email address:
peaksupportgroup@ag.gov.au

Meeting Communiqués

Next Meetings

The next meetings of the Peak Support Group are scheduled to be held on:

  • 23–24 October 2008 (Darwin), and
  • 12–13 February 2009 (Canberra).