Gladstone Entertainment & Convention Centre
The lands of the Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng and Taribelang Bunda peoples.
This is the gathering we've been working towards.
For more than 30 years, Reef Traditional Owners have carried a vision — that we would one day stand together as one, from Bundaberg in the south to the Eastern Islands of the Torres Strait in the north.
This September, at Gladstone, we make it real: the founding of the ReefTO Alliance — a Traditional Owner owned and led organisation that brings us together as one strong voice for Sea Country.
Your Cultural Group is invited to be there, and to decide — on your own authority — whether to take your place as an Alliance Member. Info packs have been sent to invited organisations by email. This page carries the same key details, along with FAQs, a glossary and more — a place to come back to any time as you prepare.
When & Where
Dates: Tuesday 29 – Wednesday 30 September 2026
Venue: Gladstone Entertainment & Convention Centre, 56 Goondoon Street, Gladstone QLD 4680
On the lands of the Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng and Taribelang Bunda peoples
The Summit runs across two full days, closing with the ReefTO Awards Gala Dinner on the evening of 30 September.
What happens at the Summit?
Over two days, the Summit will:
- Found the ReefTO Alliance — eligible organisations take their place as the first Alliance Members.
- Elect our first leaders — Founding Members elect two Interim Co-Chairs, the Alliance’s inaugural People’s Leaders.
- Set the direction — everyone in the room helps identify the priorities the Alliance will champion first.
Beyond the formal business, the Summit is a celebration of a journey that began with the Sea Forums of the 1980s — a chance to reflect, share stories,
listen, learn, and strengthen the connections between Reef Traditional Owner groups.
The Gala Dinner on the evening of 30 September brings everyone together with music, storytelling and the inaugural ReefTO Awards, recognising outstanding achievement across three categories: Honour, Respect and Hope.
Who is coming?
Organisations with the cultural authority to represent Reef Traditional Owner cultural groups, specifically those with inherent Sea Country rights and responsibilities to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
These organisations are invited to join the Alliance as members, and each invited cultural group may send up to six representatives.
Your representatives should be people who hold the cultural or delegated authority to make decisions for your organisation and community — ideally including your Chairperson, directors and other key decision-makers. At least one should be able to sign membership documentation and take part in voting, including the election of the Interim Co-Chairs.
Whether or not your organisation becomes a member, the work of the Alliance will benefit all Reef Traditional Owners.
Travel: what's covered?
ReefTO covers approved travel to and from Gladstone, accommodation, airport transfers and meals for registered attendees.
No sitting fees or daily attendance payments are provided. If a representative prefers to make their own way, ReefTO can reimburse reasonable travel costs instead.
How to Register?
Registering for the ReefTO Summit is the first step, and it opens everything else — once your representatives are registered, we’ll send through the travel form and be in touch to arrange their travel.
- Register your representatives.
Up to six per organisation. You can register everyone in one go, or each person can register themselves — whatever’s easiest for your mob. Please note: Summit delegates must be 18 years or over. - Complete the travel form.
Once registered, you’ll receive a travel form. Let us know your representatives’ travel needs and ReefTO — through its First Nations travel provider, InTravel — will arrange flights, accommodation and transfers. You won’t need to book or pay for anything yourself. If you’d prefer to make your own way, just let us know when registering. - Complete the image and video consent form.
Founding the Alliance is a moment worth capturing, so we’ll be taking photos and video at the Summit. The consent form lets each person say if and how we can use any footage of them. This one is individual — everyone completes their own.
Also happening — share with your mob
ReefTO Awards
Celebrating outstanding Reef Traditional Owners across three award categories — Honour, Respect and Hope — at the Summit Gala Dinner.
Anyone can nominate.
Interim Co-Chairs
The Alliance’s first leaders. Any Reef Traditional Owner with inherent Sea Country rights and responsibilities to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area can step forward to nominate.
Want to learn more about how the ReefTO Alliance will work?
The ReefTO Alliance is a Traditional Owner owned and led organisation, bringing Reef Traditional Owners together as one strong voice for Sea Country — while each mob keeps speaking for their own Country. It strengthens what’s already there; it doesn’t replace the authority of your PBC, corporation or group.
Our dedicated Alliance page sets out the full picture: the model and how it’s governed, the roadmap to formation, what membership means, and the Board, Elders Council and Youth Council that will lead it.
We’re here any time — reach us via engage@reefto.au or reach out directly for a yarn with a member of our Engagement Team.