Peak body for ex-service organisations – consultation and co-design outcomes
Peak body
An independent peak body is being set up to enhance coordination, collaboration, and representation within Australia's veteran and family support sector. This responds to Recommendation 89 from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, which called for such a body.
Work on the establishment of the peak body follows extensive consultation and co-design with sector stakeholders, and is primarily focused improving the experience of veterans and their families seeking effective and trusted support.
In February 2026, the Australian Government appointed Mr Nick Booth MVO as Special Advisor to lead a six-month project to consolidate views from across the sector, examine Australian and international models, and by mid-August 2026 support the development of practical, evidence informed options for the peak body’s role, governance, funding and sustainability.
Mr Booth has extensive strategic leadership and large-scale projects delivery experience involving successful multi-stakeholder collaborations. He has held senior leadership and advisory roles for more than 35 years, across the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, delivering a range of projects and campaigns focused on veterans’ welfare, mental health, child and youth mental health and community development.
Since commencing in the role, Mr Booth, supported by a small project team, has attended a wide range of meetings and engagements held across Australia including forums hosted by Deputy Commissioners in each state and with key organisations and others in the Veteran and family serving sector. This includes collaboration with critical stakeholders groups such as the Ex-Service Round Table (ESORT) and the group of ESO leaders who formed in autumn 2025 to help steer the work forward in collaboration with the Department.
On 8 April 2026, a public information session was held, providing an update on the current status of the establishment of the peak body. You can view a recording of the session. A range of frequently asked questions (FAQs) are also available.
Back to topConsultation and co-design outcomes (background):
In 2024, NOUS group was commissioned to respond to the Royal Commission’s potential recommendations on the establishment of a representative body, and to provide inputs for a co-design process for a representative body within the sector.
This work included consultation with a range of stakeholders through forums, workshops and individual interviews. A survey was also released which was completed by 889 individuals, including 559 veterans, 171 family members and 159 responses from people who identified as both veterans and family members. A desktop analysis was also undertaken which included analyses of comparable national bodies and international models. The outcomes of this work informed the design of options for a peak body.
The Veteran and Family Organisations Representative Body - options paper was used to progress the next phase in co-designing a peak body.
Discovery work for the peak body consultations included current and former members of the Australian Defence Force and their families, ex-service organisations, and other organisations and service providers that support the sector.
The Peak Body 2025 Stakeholder insights report (289 KB) created a framework for co-design workshops to continue the design options for a national peak body. We:
- held 32 online sessions which included individual and group sessions
- facilitated 4 co-design workshops (3 online and 1 in-person) with 38 participants who represented the veteran community
- received 17 submissions through an online portal.
Summary of findings
| Veterans and families have told us what they need | The ESOs have told us what they need | DVA has told us what they need |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Co-design outcomes for the establishment of a peak body
Vision
There was broad alignment the peak body should be:
- trusted and independent
- a collective voice for the ESO sector and unify the sector around a common purpose
- representative of the diversity in ESOs and the veteran and family community
- outcomes focused for the veteran and family community.
Purpose
There was agreement that the core purpose of the peak body should be to:
- advocate with a collective voice to government
- set service standards and drive accountability
- support collaboration and uplift sector capability
- identify and address existing and future challenges
- enhance coordination among ESOs to reduce service barriers
- evaluate the effectiveness of existing initiatives
- simplify pathways for veterans and families to find the right support.
Functions
There was a shared vision that the peak body would:
- advocate on policy
- set service standards to drive sector quality and reform
- facilitate communication between ESOs and government
- build trust and collaboration within the sector
- support accreditation or evaluations of ESOs, services or programs (mixed views)
- mobilise funding to meet service gaps and support a demonstration model to inform future policy.