Veterans and Families Assembly - Working toward a Co-Designed Peak Body

In 2021, Pro Patria Centre conducted a landmark survey with over 300 veterans across the Riverina and surrounding regions. The findings revealed powerful insights into the lived experiences, health needs, and service gaps facing our veteran community. Since then, these voices have been guiding everything we do — and we continue to invite new input as we build a future that honours those who’ve served.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this journey. Your participation enables us to advocate with integrity and confidence on behalf of our community.

National Assembly Marks Next Milestone

Last weekend, Pro Patria Centre joined over 70 veterans, family members, ex-service organisations, and service providers at the Veterans and Families Assembly in Canberra. This diverse, collaborative, and deeply engaged group came together to shape the design of a new veteran wellbeing agency — a key part of Recommendation 87 of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

Facilitated by Dr Nina Terrey of ThinkPlaceX and supported by the Departments of Veterans’ Affairs and Defence, the Assembly focused on co-designing a new model of support that is:

• Trusted by veterans and families

• Empathetic, trauma-informed, and people-focused

• Future-proofed — built to grow, adapt, and evolve with changing needs

• Health-focused — with a strong emphasis on prevention, early intervention and new modalities

• Collaborative — integrating efforts across agencies, ESOs, and communities

• Capable of influencing national policy and funding models

A consistent message emerged: the new agency must break away from legacy systems and take a solutions-focused approach grounded in grassroots realities.

What’s Next

From this Assembly, a final report, evaluation, and business case will be compiled and presented to the Commonwealth Government. These steps are key in advancing the Commonwealth Taskforce’s Recommendation 87 and setting the foundation for a truly responsive and effective wellbeing agency.

Join the Journey

As we wait for the release of the official report, we encourage veterans, families, and community members to stay connected, stay informed, and stay involved. This is a shared journey — and we want to hear from you.

We are shaping a future that reflects our community’s needs, hopes, and strength.

If you haven’t yet had your say, we invite you to register for our upcoming survey and consultations.