Ms Sue-Anne Hunter has been appointed to the role of National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People.
Ms Hunter is a proud Wurundjeri and Ngu rai Illum Wurrung woman with considerable experience leading Aboriginal community-controlled organisations. Among her many accomplishments, Ms Hunter has helped shaped policy and practice on Aboriginal guardianship laws in Victoria. This has included leading the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency’s NUGEL (Aboriginal Guardianship) program and developing a new model of child protection practices premised on Aboriginal organisations working in partnership with Aboriginal families.
Ms Hunter was most recently the Deputy Chair and a Commissioner of a Royal Commission, the Yoorrook Justice Commission, holding this position since 2021. A child and family services practitioner by trade, she has over twenty years’ clinical experience responding to developmental, transgenerational and community trauma.
Her experience across these sectors will be vital to ensuring that the rights, interests, and wellbeing of First Nations children and young people are protected.
As Commissioner, Ms Hunter will work closely with First Nations peoples, communities, commissioners, guardians, advocates, other key stakeholders and, most importantly, directly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people. Ms Hunter will commence on 1 September 2025 and the appointment is for 5 years.
We acknowledge the work of Lil Gordon in her capacity as the Acting National Commissioner since January 2025. Acting Commissioner Gordon has led the National Commission team during the establishment and preparing for its transition to an independent agency.