Council reflects on community control
AHCSA is marking 25 years since it incorporated as an independent, community-controlled organisation in October 2001.
In October 2001, the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia incorporated under the South Australian Associations Incorporation Act. That move established AHCSA as the peak body for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations in South Australia.
Its Board is drawn from Member services and Aboriginal Health Advisory Committees. As a result, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities shape and deliver health services for mob.
Community control also gave AHCSA independence from government while it kept partnerships with state and Commonwealth funders. Because of that structure, accountability runs directly to Member services and the communities they serve.
Across metropolitan, regional and remote South Australia, AHCSA supports Members that provide culturally safe primary health care. Programmes include comprehensive primary health care, maternal and child health, chronic disease prevention, social and emotional wellbeing services, and public health responses.
Chairperson Wilhelmine Lieberwirth described the anniversary as a milestone for sustained Aboriginal self-determined leadership in health. “For 25 years, our Members have determined how health services operate in their communities,” Lieberwirth said.
She also said self-determination is embedded in governance and in the daily work of ACCHOs. According to Lieberwirth, communities lead decisions and remain accountable to their people.
Registered Training Organisation growth
Since incorporation, AHCSA has grown from 11 staff in 2002 to 45 staff in 2024-25. Further expansion is underway to support workforce development and policy advocacy across South Australia.
Since 2004, AHCSA has operated as a Registered Training Organisation. It delivers qualifications in Aboriginal Primary Health Care and supports traineeships that build the First Nations health workforce.
Current traineeships run at Certificate III and Certificate IV levels, with expansion to Certificate II. That work has strengthened culturally grounded care and long-term workforce stability in the community-controlled sector.
Skills SA data ranks AHCSA’s RTO No. 4 in South Australia for course completion and quality outcomes in training delivered to Aboriginal students. Meanwhile, the result highlights strong outcomes in both completion and training quality.
In 2026, the 25-year milestone also sits within a longer history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership in health reform in South Australia. The Aboriginal Health Research Ethics Committee is due to mark 40 years, while the Aboriginal Maternal Infant Care programme is due to mark 20 years.
