About us

About Us

ACTA is made up of a dedicated committee of experienced managers and leaders from across the nation, working together to help the community transport sector.

The Australian Community Transport Association (ACTA) was founded in February 2011 comprising representatives from QLD, NSW & Victoria with a view to providing a national voice for community transport sector on a national level.

In 2015, ACTA produced two significant reports – National Fees Policy and Sustainable National Funding Model which were used to develop relationships and partnerships with Government.

Since this time, ACTA has been working consistently to improve community transport services for the nation.

We ask that you contact ACTA with feedback about the sector info@communitytransportaustralia.org.au

ACTA’s purpose:

  • Provide a forum for the State Associations and the State Representatives to meet and to discuss matters of mutual interest;
  • Represent Community Transport providers within Australia;
  • Make representations to Government, Non-Government and the private sector on behalf of its membership;
  • Provide information and support to its community transport providers in Australia;
  • Develop policy and standards that promote best practice in community transport organisations;
  • Promote Community Transport issues within throughout Australia
  • Build a strong membership base to generate income and political influence.

VICTAS COMMUNITY TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

Supporting community transport in Victoria and Tasmania.
VTCTA WEBSITE

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

Supporting community transport in South Australia & Northern Territory
SACTA WEBSITE
ACTA is proudly sponsored by Vehicle Access Solutions

STRATEGIC PLAN 2023-2025

Please click on the following link to read our 2023-2025 Strategic Plan.

BOARD MEMBERS

ACTA's Governance consists of experienced community transport sector leaders and high-level management. Working together to embrace all issues within the industry, problem-solving to bring out the best outcomes for the sustainability of the sector.

  • David McDonald
    Chair
    David assumed the role of chair of ACTA in November 2022. He has an exceptionally strong background in both the Commercial and NFP sectors with over 30 years in senior leadership roles varying from CEO, COO, General Manager and Network Finance Manager. These roles combined with his strengths in strategic planning, sales, marketing, building successful teams provide a strong and experienced skills base. He has worked both domestically and internationally.

    His current role is Chief Executive Officer for Community Care and Transport Incorporated on the Yorke Peninsula. The organisation was founded over 25 years ago and through its Community Transport service it empowers people to be socially engaged and to meet their medical needs. The organisation also provides a Community Visitors Scheme which helps to prevent social isolation in the community.

    Previously, David spent more than 30 years in the Commercial Radio Industry along with a stint as CEO for Variety the Children’s Charity of Queensland. He has been a board member for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal in Melbourne as well as the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation at Greenslopes Hospital in Brisbane, amongst others. As a result of his broad experience, David has a sound knowledge of corporate governance, finance, risk, legal and business operations.

    He is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Accountants as well as a Fellow of the Institute of Financial Accountants. Additionally, he is also a Certified Process Communications Facilitator.

    David has been Company Director of several Queensland, New South Wales, and Victorian companies. He has been involved in several Radio industry related activities including serving on the Commercial Radio Australia Research Committee, National and State ACRAS (Australian Commercial Radio Awards) judging panels. David was recognised with an Australian Commercial Radio Award as Metropolitan Station Manager of the Year in 2007. He has held the positions of National Chair Variety Fundraising Committee and National Chair of Variety CRM (thankQ) Committee.  Previously, he has also been a member of the Gippsland Executive Forum and the Committee for Gippsland in Regional Victoria.

    Currently, David is the Treasurer for SACTA (South Australian Community Transport Association), a Steering Committee Member for the Yorke and Mid-North Peninsula Collaborative Project, member of the Legatus Public Transport Reference Group in South Australia and the YP Business / Industry Advisory Group.

  • Prue Dimitry
    Director
    Prue was appointed as a Board member of ACTA in March 2023.
  • Rachel Thompson
    Treasurer
    Rachel was appointed as a Board member of ACTA in October 2019, and Treasurer in March 2023

    Rachel served as the CEO of Bankstown Canterbury Community Transport, a position she held from July 2016 to October 2023.  Prior to taking on the role of CEO of BCCT, Rachel first served as a Board member. She took on the opportunity of being a Board member as a way of giving back to her local community.

    Rachel has served on a number of other Boards and Board sub-committees, both in the sector and in the community space more broadly. Of most relevance, Rachel recently served as Treasurer of the Community Transport Organisation (CTO), which is the NSW state peak body for community transport.

    Prior to working in the sector, Rachel worked for a number Ministers and MPs in various states and federal parliament. She has also worked in government agencies and as an Operations Manager in private industry.

    Outside of work Rachel lives with two very naughty miniature schnauzers and enjoys gardening, playing trivia and dancing.

  • Georgina Bracken
    Director
    Georgina Bracken was appointed to the Northern Territory Director position of ACTA in September 2022.

    Having been a resident of Tennant Creek Northern Territory since 1999, Georgina is the Coordinator of Tennant Creek Transport Inc, a position she has held since 2017.

    Georgina has had extensive Board experience, having previously served on the Board of Barkly Regional Arts (BRA) from 2003-2020, the BRADAAG Board from 2008-2017 and NT Shelter Board from 2010 – 2017.  Georgina has been on the TCTransport Board since 2012 and is also the Governance Table Member representing NGO & Community Sector.  Georgina has received many awards throughout her career, including the 2010 Tennant Creek   “Great Big Golden Heart “ Award and in 2011 received nominations for the Woman with Commitment to Community Change Award at the Women’s Day Committee NTG and the Professional Woman of Excellence Award.  Georgina was also nominated for the 2019 Local Hero Northern Territory Australian of the Year Awards.

  • Stephen Cummins
    Director
    Stephen Cummins is the Strategic Services Lead for St John WA, based in Perth.

    Prior to joining ACIL Allen as a Principal, Stephen was a Director with Deloitte’s national Financial Advisory/Access Economics Practice–specializing in Health and Human Services. Before commencing a career in consulting, Stephen held several senior leadership roles within the WA Department of Health, WA Treasury, Peel Development Commission, Goldfields Experience Development Commission and the Department of Commerce and Trade (Regional Economic Development).

    While he has been working in health and human services, he has strong strategy, operations and economics experience across several sectors including government (commerce and regional development), housing (building and construction) and finance (banking).

  • Terry O'Toole
    Deputy Chair
    Terry is a vastly experienced Corporate Executive. He was Chief Operating Officer of a national waste management and transport operation for six years prior to joining TransitCare Ltd as their COO.  For the past six years he has held the role of CEO of TransitCare which is one of the largest and most efficient community transporters in the country.

    Previously, Terry spent 25 years in retail management (fast moving consumable goods) and was working as a senior executive in an array of businesses both public and privately owned.  Terry provides hands on management experience to the organisation and mentoring to the executive management team. He is an operational expert who is focused on providing TransitCare the internal capability to be NDIS compliant and to grow its reach and scale.

    Terry is a member of the AICD and sits on two boards – the TDSA in Queensland and ACTA as the Vice Chairman and is also a member of the Qld NDS State Committee.  He continues to agitate for the rights of clients to ensure that they are provided with the best services possible. Terry attends many forums where his transport expertise is called upon to provide clear strategy and direction for the sector.

    Terry has been in the Disability sector for over 6 years and brings commercial acumen into the sector that is and continues to undertake transformational change.

    Terry’s aspirations don’t sit in the one silo, as he sees that the continued agitation must focus on all that are vulnerable in our society and that focus should not discriminate.

  • Jo Cochrane
    Secretary
    Jo has a long-standing career that spans from the front-line to executive management across the aged, disability and community transport sectors.

    With a career that includes working for large private and not for profit organisations such as lending institutions, residential aged care and community care organisations, Jo has 30 years of experience in developing and managing programs that support older people and people with disability, to lead independent, active, and inclusively connected lives.

    Jo was an active member and the Chair of the ACT Community Transport Working Group from 2017-2023 and is an appointed member of the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing, that provides strategic advice to the ACT Government on issues affecting older people in the ACT.

  • Lyndon Stevenson
    Director
    Lyndon Stevenson is a former Chair of the national peak body for community transport in Australia (ACTA), a position Lyndon had held from May 2018 until November 2022.  Prior to taking on the role of Chair, Lyndon was appointed to the Board of ACTA in 2015.  Lyndon also currently holds the Office of Vice Chair of the Victorian & Tasmania peak body (VTCTA); since 2016.

    Lyndon is the CEO of Community Transport Services Tasmania Inc (CTST). CTST has a proud history of delivering community transport services across Tasmania, and more recently has diversified its services to encompass regional public transport; directly assisting people to access the labour market and the greater community under the brand of Area Connect.

    CTST manages a fleet of 80+ vehicles, employs over 40 staff, and has a pool of around 250 volunteers.  The service is delivered across Tasmania, recently expanding to Flinders Island in the state’s far North East.

    Lyndon has extensive experience in the community services industry and has held several senior management and senior executive positions within the youth, employment and training sectors. Prior to his appointment as CEO with CTST in 2015, Lyndon held the position of Chief Operating Officer / Deputy CEO of a large youth charity covering Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales.

    Away from the office, Lyndon enjoys spending time with his wife and children, fishing, cycling, and tendering to his small hobby farm in the Huon Valley, Tasmania where he breeds Belted Galloway cattle. Lyndon is very active in his local community and is involved in a range of community activities most notably the President of his local cricket club.

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