For almost 53 years, AHL has been part of Australia’s national infrastructure - supporting First Nations people who must travel away from home to access essential services.
After more than 50 years, AHL is embarking in its the next chapter - transforming systems so that every AHL hostel, every role, and every effort across the company contributes to providing safety, dignity, and opportunity for First Nations people across the country.
The work to transform AHL and establish a new vision for the organisation has started through the development of a 10-year strategy. This strategy will set a strong foundation for AHL for the next 50 years, to make sure that the company continues to deliver vital, culturally safe services to communities. To make sure the 10-year strategy is meaningful and achievable it is being shaped by the perspectives of residents, staff and stakeholders.
On 17 February 2026, senior AHL leaders from across the company met on Ngunnawal country (Canberra) to workshop what the next 10 years or AHL could look like. Facilitated by Nous Group, the workshop generated ideas around service innovation, partnerships, workforce capability, digital uplift, governance, and community voice.
The next phase of strategy is about to commence. This phase focuses on listening by gathering insights from across AHL and from external stakeholders to guide the path forward. This consultation will allow both staff and external stakeholders to share views on the future direction of AHL, including reflections on the company’s current and future state, strategic priorities, key risks and challenges, and what is needed to successfully deliver the strategy.
Following consultation, strategic priorities will be refined, clear deliverables mapped, and an implementation approach designed so that the strategy lives in AHL’s daily work. The strategy will also outline the resources, change support, and capability uplift required to deliver on what has been collectively envisioned.
AHL recognises that accommodation is about more than shelter. It is about wellbeing. AHL's future is not just in beds, but in spaces that support healing, respite, recovery and transition. The future is creating places where people can rest while dealing with illness, regroup after trauma, stabilise before moving into longer term housing or work, and stay connected to culture and community while navigating the unfamiliar.
AHL’s future is not about surviving. It is about thriving. Thriving means strengthening partnerships across health, education, justice and employment sectors. It means embedding quality and consistency across services. It means ensuring that culturally safe accommodation remains recognised as essential infrastructure within Closing the Gap reform effort.
The 10-year strategy will reimagine AHL’s future. Not as business as usual, but as a bold, united organisation that communities can depend on.
AHL’s 10-year strategy is expected to be finalised by September 2026.
For more information about the 10-year strategy and how you can contribute please contact hayley.rogers@ahl.gov.au.