Article
March 11, 2026
January and February are often months of preparation, setting strategic direction, strengthening partnerships and ensuring that the year ahead is grounded in clarity and purpose. This year has been no different. In January, I commenced my role as Acting First Nations Commissioner with the interim Australian Tertiary Education Commission. It is a short term, part…
Article
March 11, 2026
On Tuesday 24 February 2026, the NBPU TIS team attended the official launch of the Digital Repository for Tackling Indigenous Smoking (DR TIS) at the Ann Harding Conference Centre at the University of Canberra. The launch marked a significant milestone in the history of the program and one of Australia’s most successful public health initiatives….
News
March 11, 2026
The Cook Government has recently passed a new bill to strengthen Western Australia’s statewide response to the illicit tobacco and nicotine vape market. The amendments to the current Tobacco Control Act 2006 will include serious penalties that aim to disrupt businesses who are selling illegal products. WA has some of the toughest penalties including a…
News
March 11, 2026
In September of 2025, our Top End Tackling Indigenous Smoking Team travelled to Gunbalanya community with Break ‘n’ Barrierz to create a music video and deliver information/education sessions. During this weeklong project we delivered TIS Education sessions followed by a dance workshop every day. On the Monday we held a community session at the youth…
News
January 30, 2026
New to the TIS website Two new videos have been added to the ‘Give Up For Good’ national tobacco and vaping campaigns: Keep at quitting: 15 seconds Keep at quitting: 30 seconds Big Rivers TIS’s What’s your Smoke Free story? videos featuring community members telling their smoke-free stories. Deadly Choices’ Vapes are deathly, not deadly…
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December 12, 2025
I was invited to participate in SAWCAN’s annual workshop in Whyalla, where the NBPU session focused on monitoring and evaluation. The session began with a general update on NBPU, then moved into a practical discussion on why we monitor and evaluate our programs, how this supports continuous improvement, and how it strengthens accountability to community….
News
December 12, 2025
On Monday 8th December, our WA Program Officer, Oniké Williams attended an exclusive lunch event with the new Illicit Tobacco and E-cigarette Commissioner (ITEC), Ms Amber Shuhyta, who was the keynote speaker. The event was attended by key representatives across Western Australia in the tobacco control and health sector, including our local Tackling Indigenous Smoking grant…
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December 12, 2025
Over the past week, Tim, Eileen and I had the opportunity to meet with four of the Round 2 NRPP suppliers based in the Northern Territory. Each organisation is taking a thoughtful, community-led approach to strengthening smoke-free living, and it was encouraging to see the passion and clarity they’re bringing to this early phase of…
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December 12, 2025
On 10 December, I joined Ronnie and Barb to attend Grand Pacific Health’s 3on3 Mind Over Matter event on Yuin Country in Merimbula. Hosted by the GPH We Breathe TIS team, the day brought together high school students from across the Bega Valley for a vibrant mix of culture, creativity and healthy lifestyle messages. The…
April 1, 2026
What’s New on the Tackling Indigenous Smoking Website
New to the TIS website New Resource to Support Activities: Rise Up Campaign assets: Rise Up is a national TIS campaign focused on standing together for health and against industry harm. The National Best Practice Unit – Tackling Indigenous Smoking (NBPU TIS) commissioned proud Ngiyampaa Wongaibon woman Claudine Thornton to develop a culturally grounded, ready-to-use…