The SBS Community Advisory Committee assists the SBS Board in ensuring SBS evolves its content and services to reflect the priorities and needs of the communities it was established to serve, and ensures the ongoing success of SBS in contributing to a more inclusive Australian society.

The Community Advisory Committee, established under the SBS Act, is a critically important body, authorised to seek feedback from community groups about SBS services and draw on their unique positions within Australia’s diverse communities to advise the SBS Board on matters relevant to the SBS Charter. Its primary objectives in 2018-19 included:

• Providing advice to the Board and Executive;
• Making recommendations to the Board on key issues impacting communities;
• Supporting SBS activities related to community engagement, partnerships, consultations, stakeholder relations and policies;
• Providing feedback on programming, marketing and outreach activities affecting all Australians;
• Assisting SBS’s efforts to inform and educate all Australians to counter prejudice, racism and religious discrimination.

The Committee includes two SBS Board members: SBS Deputy Chair, George Savvides, and SBS non-executive Board member, Dot West, who also serves as Committee co-chair.

The Committee met three times in 2018-19, with the SBS Board Chair, other Board members and the SBS Managing Director attending meetings through the year. In addition to regular meetings, Committee members were provided with updates and information on SBS content and themes to enable them to share this with their networks and to drive engagement with the SBS suite of channels and platforms.

In October 2019, Committee members completed a new ‘Focus Survey’, for SBS to understand their media habits, engagement with SBS content and services, and views about SBS’s delivery of its purpose and role within communities. Results returned insights that advanced and improved the role of the Committee as a conduit for SBS to reach diverse communities.

A new Committee Charter was established in 2018-19 in line with a Board requirement to establish dedicated Charters for all its Committees. Minutes from each Committee meeting are also presented to the SBS Board.

Biographies

George Savvides

SBS Deputy Chair.

For full biography, please see the SBS Board of Directors section.

Dorothy (Dot) West

SBS non-executive Board member and SBS Community Advisory Committee Co-Chair.

For full biography, please see the SBS Board of Directors section.

Mr Huseiyn (Huss) Mustafa OAM

SBS CAC Co-Chair

General Manager, Multicultural Community Banking at Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Huss Mustafa OAM is a Senior Executive at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) with more than 40 years’ experience in the financial services sector. He is currently General Manager of the Multicultural Community Banking Australia team. He played a leading role in establishing The Australian Turkish Business Council, served as its president for 11 years, and is now its Patron and Honorary Chair. In 2014, Huss was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to multiculturalism and the business community.

Mr Mohammad Al-Khafaji

Former Chief Executive Officer, Welcome To Australia; CEO, Federation Ethnic Communities’ Council of Australia (FECCA)

Mohammad Al-Khafaji was born in Iraq and arrived in Australia in 2003 as a refugee when he was 13. He completed a Bachelor of Software Engineering at the University of Adelaide in 2012. He is the former Chief Executive Officer of Welcome to Australia. He is the former Secretary and now Chief Executive Officer of Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Council of Australia (FECCA), and member of the Ad Standards Community Panel. He is passionate about changing the national conversation around refugees and people seeking asylum to a positive one, through education and grassroots movements. In 2008, Mohammad was a delegate at the Federal Government’s 2020 Youth Summit in Canberra, was awarded the South Australian Governor’s Multicultural award for youth achievement in 2012, and was South Australia's 'Young Australian of the Year’ Award finalist in 2018.

Professor Kerry Arabena

Chair for Indigenous Health and Director, Indigenous Health Equity Unit, Melbourne; School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne

Professor Kerry Arabena is a descendant of the Meriam people from the Torres Strait. With an extensive background in public health, administration, community development and research, her work has made significant contributions in areas such as sexual and reproductive health, family violence, gender issues, access and equity, service provision, and harm minimisation. As Chair for Indigenous Health and Director of the Indigenous Health Equity Unit at the University of Melbourne, Kerry is also an author and business owner, a mother and a grandmother, with interests in achieving equity for all Australians.

Reverend Tim Costello AO

Chief Advocate, World Vision Australia; Chair, Community Council for Australia

Reverend Tim Costello AO is recognised as one of Australia’s leading voices on social justice, leadership and ethics and has spearheaded public debates on gambling, poverty, homelessness, reconciliation and substance abuse. Most recently with World Vision Australia, he has been instrumental in ensuring the issues surrounding global poverty are placed on the national agenda, firstly as Chief Executive for 13 years until October 2016, and since in his role as Chief Advocate. Tim is also Executive Director of Micah Australia, Chair of the Community Council of Australia, member of the Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee of the EU-Australia Leadership Forum, and member of the Australian National Development Index and the Campaign for Australian Aid.

Ms Carmel Guerra OAM

Chief Advocate, World Vision Australia; Chair, Community Council for Australia

Reverend Tim Costello AO is recognised as one of Australia’s leading voices on social justice, leadership and ethics and has spearheaded public debates on gambling, poverty, homelessness, reconciliation and substance abuse. Most recently with World Vision Australia, he has been instrumental in ensuring the issues surrounding global poverty are placed on the national agenda, firstly as Chief Executive for 13 years until October 2016, and since in his role as Chief Advocate. Tim is also Executive Director of Micah Australia, Chair of the Community Council of Australia, member of the Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee of the EU-Australia Leadership Forum, and member of the Australian National Development Index and the Campaign for Australian Aid.

Ms Carmel Guerra OAM

Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY)

With 30 years’ experience in the community sector, Carmel Guerra is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) – the first organisation in Australia to work exclusively with migrant and refugee young people. Carmel continues to participate on a number of boards and committees for government and non-government sectors and is currently a member of the Migration Council Australia and Settlement Services Advisory Council. Carmel convenes the national Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN), is a member of the Youth Parole Board and in 2016 was recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her outstanding achievements and service to the community.

Ms Gail Ker OAM

Chief Executive Officer, Access Community Services Ltd

Gail Ker OAM is CEO at Access Community Services Ltd, a not-for-profit organisation providing specialised settlement and support services. She has worked extensively in multicultural affairs positions and sits on a number of boards including as Deputy Chair of Settlement Services Advisory Council, and as a board member of Migration Council of Australia and the Netball Australia ‘One Netball Advisory Group’. Renowned for her expertise in innovative service solutions for newly arrived migrants and humanitarian entrants, Gail is a recognised thought-leader in needs-based community planning, innovative business models, social cohesion, strategic partnerships, employment pathways, funding opportunities and strategic direction.

Mr Patrick Mau (Mau Power)

Musician and Filmmaker

Patrick Mau is a lyrical storyteller and artist from Thursday Island in the Torres Strait. With a proud heritage from the Dhoebaw Clan of the Guda Maluilgal nations and the Argan tribe of the Maluilgal nations, Mau Power is the first hip-hop act to emerge out of the Torres Strait and break out on the Australian music scene, making an impact through the art of storytelling that embodies his many connections of cultures.

Professor Adrian Miller

Pro Vice-Chancellor of Indigenous Engagement, Central Queensland University

Professor Adrian Miller is a descendant of the Jirrbal people of North Queensland. His interests include applied and translational research in communicable diseases in Indigenous communities; Indigenous public health; and Indigenous higher education. Adrian’s research development has been a major focus for these activities, which have led to positive outcomes for Indigenous community members and organisations. He has a research track record in competitive grants with both Australian Research Council and National Health and Medical Research Council grant schemes and in June 2018, Adrian moved into a new role as Pro Vice-Chancellor of Indigenous Engagement at Central Queensland University.

Ms Mary Patetsos

Chairperson, Federation Ethnic Communities’ Council of Australia (FECCA)

Mary Patetsos is a professional Board Director, serving on both national and South Australian Boards with a rare blend of academic qualifications and expertise. Her membership includes Chair of Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA), Council member of the University of South Australia, Deputy Chairperson Health Performance Council, member Northern Adelaide Local Health Network Governing Board, Board member Catherine House and member National Aged Care Alliance. Ms Patetsos is also a Chair and non-Executive Director of Power Community Limited and is a member of Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Dr Casta Tungaraza

Chair, Advisory Group on Australia-Africa Relations; President, African Women's Council of Australia

Dr Casta Tungaraza is Director of the Australian Institute of Swahili Language and African Culture, a member of the Western Australian Government’s Multicultural Advisory Group and a recipient of the West Australian Multicultural Services Award. She works closely with the African diaspora in Australia, actively supporting the integration, participation and empowerment of African-Australians within Australian society. In 2012, she received the national Living Legend and Most Influential African in Australia Awards, and in the same year, she was inducted in the Women’s Hall of Fame in Western Australia. Casta is currently the Chair of the Government’s Advisory Group on Australia-Africa Relations tasked with informing Australia’s thinking and policies on Africa, promoting people–to-people relations and enhancing trade and economic engagement between the two continents.