The North Australia Aboriginal Justice Agency Limited (NAAJA) has announced the appointment of Theresa Roe as its new chair. Ms Carol Dowling from Katherine has been appointed as the deputy chair. Ms Roe and Ms Dowling were appointed at the first directors’ meeting following the election of directors at the annual general meeting held on 27 November 2024.

Ms Roe is a proud Yawuru, Gurindji and Torres Strait Islander woman. She was born on Larrakia country and has lived and worked throughout the Northern Territory. Early in her career she worked for the Northern Territory and Australian governments in social security, education, and employment and training. She also worked for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) as a senior policy advisor and later at the Aboriginal Medical Service Alliance NT (AMSANT) and the Aboriginal Peak Organisations of the Northern Territory (APO NT).

Ms Roe brings to NAAJA a long history of building strong and close relationships with Aboriginal people in communities across the Northern Territory and fostering good governance in Aboriginal community controlled organisations. She has been actively involved in many activities and events at the local, territory and national level to advocate for the rights of Aboriginal people. Some of Ms Roe’s achievements include assisting in the establishment of the Red Lily Health Aboriginal Corporation, the Aboriginal Housing NT peak body and the Aboriginal Governance and Management Program within APO NT.

‘I am proud to have been appointed to the role of chair of such an important organisation as NAAJA’, said Ms Roe. ‘At a time when more and more Aboriginal youth and adults are being locked up, my focus will be on reducing the incarceration rates of our people and advocating for a fairer justice system. With almost 85 per cent of the prison population being Aboriginal people, our current system is clearly broken and needs urgent reform.’

The new chair and deputy chair have been appointed until the 2025 AGM.

Media contact

Anthony Beven, 0419 218 518, anthony.beven@naaja.org.au