Our Governing Group
Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory — APO NT
APO NT operates as an alliance on the basis that all members of APO NT make decisions as equals in relation to policy, strategy, governance, funding and operations including media.
To achieve this, APO NT has established a Governing Group comprising Aboriginal Chief Executive Officers and/or Chairs of the member organisations.
The Governing Group provides direction and makes decisions, regarding all of APO NT’s work, in consultation with their respective Executive Councils or Boards.
APO NT’s current members are:
- Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT (AMSANT)
- Northern Land Council (NLC)
- Central Land Council (CLC)
- Aboriginal Housing (NT) (AH/NT)
- North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA)
- NT Indigenous Business Network
- Anindilyakwa Land Council
- Tiwi Land Council
Other Aboriginal community-controlled peak organisations that are based in the Northern Territory may join APO NT either by invitation or application. A form is available for this purpose.
APO NT membership is based on community-controlled organisations accountable to Aboriginal communities in the NT. Membership is open to:
(a) NT non-government Aboriginal bodies and independent statutory authorities which are community-controlled, support self- determination and are committed to the full involvement of Aboriginal people in the design and delivery of policies, programs and services that affect them;
(b) Have their governing boards elected by Aboriginal communities and/or organisations which are accountable to that membership; and
(c) Have functions that include acting as a peak body including representing the interests of their members to governments and providing policy and program leadership.In certain circumstances, with the full agreement of the Governing Group, other not-for-profit Aboriginal controlled organisations exercising a peak body role for a specific Aboriginal sectoral constituency in the Northern Territory can also be eligible for membership.
Decisions about applications for membership will be made by the Governing Group, in consultation with their respective Executive Council or Boards. In making decisions, the Governing Group will have regard to eligibility for membership, the unity and effectiveness of APO NT and achieving the best outcomes for Aboriginal people of the NT.
WE ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING MEMBERSHIP AND EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST TO BE A NTAECC DIRECTOR
ABORIGINAL PEARK ORGANISATIONS OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY - APONT
NTAECC
After years of lobbying and implementation of a funding agreement administered by the education departments of NT Labor and CLP governments’ the Aboriginal Peak Organisations NT Aboriginal Corporation (APONT) has established a peak representative body for education for the NT.
The name of the legal entity is the NT Aboriginal Education Consultative Council Aboriginal Corporation ICN 11857.
The corporation will be known as NTAECC for consistency and alignment with the names of Indigenous peak bodies for education around Australia.
NTAECC was incorporated as a legal entity under the CATSI Act in April 2026. NTAECC will be an advisory body to governments to ensure our voice is heard when it comes to education for Aboriginal people in the NT.
Objectives
1. Enter into a partnership agreement with the NT Department of Education and Training and become a member of NATSIEC
2. Establish partnership approaches and advocate to ensure all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Northern Territory receive quality, culturally appropriate and accessible education at all levels
3. Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to lead education initiatives which transmit their histories, languages, traditions and culture through education, training and learning
4. Build education and learning into community values, norms and practices as the basis of building knowledge, skills and capabilities to improve economic and social prosperity in Aboriginal communities.
5. Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators, staff and students in their education, training and learning aspirations, including the provision of appropriate career pathways and pathways for further education and training.
6. Advance Commonwealth and Northern Territory Government commitments to Closing the Gap Priority Reform 1—Formal partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
7. Advance Commonwealth and Northern Territory Government commitments to Closing the Gap priority reforms and socio-economic outcome areas that target education.
8. Ensure free, prior and informed consent in decision making and when engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities regarding decisions about education, training and learning issues
Governance.
In the first three months after incorporation the corporation will be governed by an interim board of directors with up to 12 members. The interim board of directors will:
1. Develop strategies to attract membership of the corporation
2. Represent NAETECC at Territory and National education forums, and
3. Act as an advisory body to Territory and Commonwealth governments
The term of the interim board of directors will end at the first general meeting due three months after the date of incorporation. At the first general meeting the term of the interim board of directors will end and the positions will be declared vacant. The members in attendance at the meeting will elect and appoint a new board of directors for a term of 2 years.
The corporation will ask members to appoint directors who are resident in regions throughout the NT.
The appointed directors will have experience and/or qualifications in specialist areas of education and have:
• current or previous employment in the NT education system
• cultural knowledge and authority
Together, the directors will have experience and/or qualifications in early childhood education, primary education, secondary education, vocational education and training, higher education and homeland schooling.
Membership
The corporation will have two classes of membership
A Full Member must be:
• at least 15 years old
• an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person that permanently resides in the Northern Territory
An Associate Member must be:
• at least 18 years old
• a person who is not eligible to be a full member
• a permanent resident in the Northern Territory
Directors:
There will be a maximum of 12 directors
A director must be:
• at least 18 years old
• be a Full Member
IF THIS IS YOU - WE ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING MEMBERSHIP AND EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST TO BE A NTAECC DIRECTOR
Please complete the membership form and the director nomination if you would like to be appointed as a director.
Application for membership form and
Board MemberNomination form
Please send forms or if you have questions please see contact details below:
education@apont.org.au
Phone: 08 7936 8620
9A Rowling Street, Casuarina NT 0810
