The Albanese Government has appointed a new group of respected charity sector leaders to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) Advisory Board, bringing together expertise from across charity law, philanthropy, governance, multicultural communities and service delivery to help ensure Australia's charities continue to benefit from informed, independent advice.
The appointments reinforce the Government's commitment to supporting Australia's charity sector by ensuring it has a strong voice, strengthening capability and boosting the giving that sustains for-purpose organisations.
The Advisory Board is a part-time advisory body that supports the ACNC Commissioner by providing sector-specific advice on matters affecting registered charities.
The Government has reappointed Ms Sarah Davies AM as Chair, Ms Sara Harrup as Deputy Chair, and Mr Ian Hamm as a member, recognising their leadership and valuable contribution since their original appointment on 1 August 2023.
The Government has also appointed Ms Alice Macdougall, Professor Ian Murray, Mr Krystian Seibert and Dr Rosy Walia as general members.
Together, the appointments ensure the Advisory Board continues to reflect the breadth and diversity of Australia's charity sector. The Board draws on expertise in charity law, regulation, philanthropy, governance and community service delivery, while also including First Nations and multicultural perspectives and the experiences of youth and smaller start-up charities.
Ms Alice Macdougall is a nationally recognised expert in charity law, with extensive experience in charitable purpose, tax concessions, governance and board structures. She is a member of the ACNC Professional User Group, the Australian Law Council's Committee for Charity and Not-for-Profit Law and the Victorian Women Lawyers Work Practices Committee, and serves on the boards of two charities.
Professor Ian Murray teaches taxation, corporations and not-for-profit law at the University of Western Australia and researches the intersection of not-for-profit law, taxation, trusts and corporate governance. He is the author of Charity Law and Accumulation, examining the intergenerational issues raised by the accumulation of assets by charities. He also has many years' experience advising on not-for-profit tax issues and has served on not-for-profit boards, including as chair, for more than a decade.
Mr Krystian Seibert has extensive experience shaping policy and regulatory frameworks for philanthropy and the not-for-profit sector. He previously served as an Associate Commissioner at the Productivity Commission, jointly leading the Australian Government's inquiry into philanthropy. He is Chair of Mental Health First Aid International, a Non-Executive Director of the Consumer Policy Research Centre, and an Adjunct Industry Fellow at the Centre for Social Impact at Swinburne University of Technology.
Dr Rosy Walia brings 25 years of senior management and non-executive director experience across the community and health sectors. She has served for the past 17 years as Chief Executive Officer and Company Secretary of Multicultural Care, a leading provider of culturally tailored home and community-based support services. She has also served on numerous not-for-profit boards and advisory groups, including the Aged Care Stakeholder Working Group of Services Australia, and has built a career centred on strengthening support for multicultural communities.
Together with state and territory ex officio members, these appointments provide the ACNC Commissioner with a strong and diverse range of expertise to support a robust, well-regulated charity sector that continues to deliver vital services to communities across Australia.
All appointments commence on 2 August 2026 and conclude on 1 August 2029.
The Government thanks outgoing members Ms Anna Bacik, Mr David Crosbie, Ms Rosina Loria and Professor Myles McGregor-Lowndes OAM for their valuable contributions and stewardship of the ACNC Advisory Board over the past three years.
