Interim Co-Chair Nominations

The ReefTO Alliance is looking for its first two leaders.

At the ReefTO Summit this September, Alliance Members will elect two Interim Co-Chairs — the “People’s Leaders” who will guide the Alliance through its founding phase and help shape everything that follows.

If you’re a Reef Traditional Owner ready to help lead this next chapter, this is your moment to step forward.

Nominations are now open.

The Role

The two Interim Co-Chairs will lead the ReefTO Alliance Board through its founding phase — providing strategic and cultural leadership, guiding the transition, and overseeing the election of the full Board of Directors in 2027.

Two positions — one man and one woman.

Elected by Alliance Members at the Summit on 30 September 2026.

Interim term: 1 October 2026 to mid-2027.
Remunerated — $20,000 per annum, pro rata.

The role asks for a whole-of-Reef mindset — making decisions for the collective benefit of all Reef Traditional Owners, not only your own group or region.

Who can stand

To stand as an Interim Co-Chair, you must:

Be 18 years or older.

Be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person, recognised as having cultural connections and stewardship responsibilities to Sea Country as a Traditional Owner of the Great Barrier Reef.

Provide a letter of recognition from a cultural group entity within one of the six ReefTO Great Barrier Reef regions.

There are further governance requirements that apply if you’re elected — including required checks, a Director Identification Number, and written consent to act as a company officeholder. These are set out in full in the Position Description and Information Pack, and are a condition of appointment if elected.

Full eligibility details are in the Position Description and Information Pack.

What you’ll need to submit

Your nomination has four parts:

A completed nomination form (online or PDF).
A short biography (up to 200 words).
A 60–90 second video statement.
A letter of recognition from a Reef Traditional Owner cultural group in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
→ Download a letter of recognition template to adapt.

For your video and letter of recognition, you can either upload them to a file-sharing platform (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive) and share the links, or email them to chairs@reefto.au. If you share links, please make sure sharing is turned on so we can open them.

Good to know

This is a self-nomination — you’re putting yourself forward.

It’s open to any Reef Traditional Owner with connection to Sea Country, not only those attending the Summit.

As the Interim Co-Chairs will help lead the recruitment of the Alliance’s CEO, they are not eligible to apply for the CEO role. Recruitment for the CEO is expected to start in October 2026.

All nominees are asked to keep Wednesday 30 September free and be contactable by phone that afternoon, when we advise nominees of the outcome.
Elected Co-Chairs who are present at the Summit will be asked to speak at the ReefTO Gala Dinner on the evening of Wednesday 30 September.

How to nominate

There are two ways to nominate — whichever suits you best:

Nominate online
ReefTO Alliance | Interim Co-Chair Nomination – Fill in form

Nominate by email
Download the form, fill it in, and return it by email to chairs@reefto.au.

Nominations close Friday 11 September 2026.

Key dates

Monday 10 August 2026	Nominations open
Friday 11 September 2026	Nominations close The final day to put yourself forward.
29–30 September 2026	Elected at the ReefTO Summit, Gladstone Founding Members vote. The two Interim Co-Chairs, the People’s Leaders are elected, and their appointments announced at the Summit.
October 2026	The work begins The Interim Board convenes and the ReefTO Alliance gets underway.

Questions?

If you’d like to yarn it through first, email chairs@reefto.au and one of our Taskforce Co-Chairs — Duane Fraser or Manuwuri Forester — will be in touch.

Resources

About the ReefTO Alliance

The ReefTO Alliance is a Traditional Owner owned and led organisation, bringing Reef Traditional Owners together as one strong voice for Sea Country across the Great Barrier Reef. It will be founded at the ReefTO Summit on 29–30 September 2026.