Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, award-winning human rights advocate, lawyer, and Fulbright Scholar, will be the ACT’s inaugural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Commissioner.

Ms Turnbull-Roberts will start her five-year term as commissioner on 26 February 2024. In her new role, she will protect and promote the rights, interests, and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in the ACT, individually and at a systemic level.

She is a Bundjalung Widubul-Wiabul woman who has experienced the impact of the child protection system on First Nations peoples. She was removed from her family at the age of 10.

An Australian Human Rights Medallist in 2019, Ms Turnbull-Roberts is undertaking research as a Fulbright Scholar, to change the Australian child protection system and the lives of First Nations children.

“I am incredibly thrilled and honoured to have been entrusted with this important role, and so grateful for the opportunity to make a positive impact and advocate for the rights and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people,” Ms Turnbull-Roberts said. “I’ll be working towards important outcomes to bring our children home and ensure that country, connection and healing are paramount to our people.

“First Nations families and communities have continued to hold the solutions that work for us, by us.

“Our strength lies in the people that have come before us, our collective struggle and resilient history, our ancestors, knowledge holders, healers, and country – and this will continue for eternity with our young.

“I look forward to working with First Nations families and communities as we strive to end discrimination and ensure the rights of First Nations people are heard – in particular, addressing the urgent pipeline of child removal and incarceration. I invite all to come on this journey and work together in creating fundamental change.”

Ms Turnbull-Roberts’s appointment to the independent role follows an extensive recruitment process in partnership with the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. The independent, statutory role was designed in consultation with First Nations peoples as part of the ACT Government’s commitment to fully implementing recommendations of the 2019 Our Booris, Our Way Report.

“The Our Booris, Our Way Implementation Oversight Committee has been waiting anxiously for the announcement that the ACT Government has appointed an inaugural ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Commissioner,” chair Natalie Brown said.

“The Our Booris, Our Way Review first recommended that this critical role be established in its final report in 2019, and it has been a long journey to get to this point.

“Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts is a highly qualified and fiercely committed advocate and stands for real change for our children and young people.

“Her appointment reflects the genuine partnership with representatives from the local community heavily involved in the recruitment process.

“We are looking forward to welcoming and to working with the Commissioner to drive the ACT to becoming a jurisdiction where all children can thrive.”

Tara Cheyne, ACT Minister for Human Rights, said she was thrilled that Ms Turnbull-Roberts, “an inspirational leader in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights and advocate for First Nations children”, would be the ACT’s inaugural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Commissioner.

Rachel Stephen-Smith, ACT Minister for Families and Community Services, said: “I have no doubt Ms Turnbull-Roberts will be a passionate advocate for Canberra’s First Nations children, young people, and families. Her impressive career and achievements to date have been driven by the pursuit of justice and better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. I look forward to working with her as we continue to reform the child, youth, and family services system.”

Barbara Causon PSM, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Advocate, will remain in her interim role until Ms Turnbull-Roberts takes office.

The ministers thanked Ms Causon for her commitment as interim advocate to supporting First Nations families in the ACT.

“She has led work on which the commissioner can build to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children can live their best lives, connected to their community, culture, and country,” Ms Cheyne said.