Community Advisory Committee

Community Advisory Committee

The Community Advisory Committee is appointed by the Ambulance Victoria (AV) Board to ensure the voices of all Victorian communities are heard, understood, and integrated across AV’s work and services. Members are our communities’ advocates, and their experience and contributions are highly valued by the Board and organisation.

The Committee:

• advises the Board on issues impacting the community, so that all Victorians have equitable access to safe, effective, and timely care.
• provides guidance on community needs and impacts when AV changes policies or services, and on effective community planning and engagement.
• participates in AV’s strategic planning, and annually reports to the Board on delivery of the Community and Consumer Engagement Plan.
• advises on the needs of our more disadvantaged and/or difficult to reach community members, including:
  • rural and regional communities.
  • culturally and linguistically diverse groups, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, the homeless, refugees, and people impacted by domestic or family violence.
  • people who may find it difficult to communicate with paramedics during their care experience, or who have special access needs in their own homes or in ambulances.

“The Committee is a valued forum through which its members and AV are held to account for ensuring the needs and experiences of communities are understood and respected…it ensures a community diversity lens is considered in AVs strategies and planning.”
– Colleen Furlanetto OAM, Committee Chair, AV Board Member

Our current members are:

Colleen Furlanetto OAM

Colleen Furlanetto, Committee Chair, is a passionate and committed community leader, specialising in diversity, equality, and the disability sector.

Living in rural Victoria, Colleen is a Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteer leader and supporter of the CFA Rehabilitation Health Monitoring Team and other committee roles in strategic planning, and diversity and inclusion in CFA. She is also Board member of Regional Development Victoria – Goulburn Regional Partnership.

With a background in nursing, Colleen’s interests extend across health access for those living in rural and regional Victoria, including those with disability. From 2008 to 2016, she was an elected local government representative (Councillor, Deputy Mayor and Mayor), focusing on community access to healthcare and timely emergency support for rural areas. She has also served on a variety of not-for-profit boards, including organisations involved in the prevention of violence against girls and women.

Colleen enjoyed two terms as a member of Victoria’s Disability Advisory Council including two years as Chair. In 2020, she concluded her three-year term as inaugural Disability Commissioner for Commercial Vehicles Victoria (taxi and rideshare industries). In 2015, Colleen was the recipient of the Brenda Gabe Award for Women with Disability Victoria, followed by the Australian Human Rights Commissioner Inspire Award in 2016.

Mumtaz Akhtar

Mumtaz Akhtar is a dedicated community advocate and volunteer based in Geelong, with a strong focus on empowering newly arrived CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) community members. Holding a degree in Public Health and Community Services, Mumtaz is the Women’s Well-being Coordinator for the Islamic Society of Geelong, where she leads initiatives to enhance health literacy, social engagement, and overall well-being among Muslim women. The Islamic Society of Geelong serves Muslims from over 25 nationalities, and Mumtaz works tirelessly to bridge cultural divides and support women from diverse backgrounds.

Mumtaz’s community involvement extends to various organisations, including Amber Community, where she advocates for road safety and supports vulnerable community members, particularly in relation to car capsules. She is also a member of the WorkSafe Victoria Multicultural Consultative Group, representing the Islamic Society of Geelong, where she champions inclusive policies and practices.

Her commitment to volunteerism is further evident through her work with Catholic Care and Australian Multicultural Community Services. As a survivor of a car rollover, Mumtaz brings lived experience to her advocacy, particularly for CALD women and older adults, amplifying the voices of those often unheard in the community.

Laura Collister

Laura Collister is passionate about supporting people to achieve good mental health in the community. Laura was appointed CEO of Wellways Australia in December 2019, having previously been the Director, Services, Research and Development, where she oversaw the provision of community-based mental health and psychosocial disability services to over 9,000 Australians.  Laura’s early career was in large psychiatric institutions, where she assisted residents to prepare for community living.  She also worked as an occupational therapist and case manager in one of the earliest community teams in Broadmeadows, and in specialist mental health units at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Laura lectured at La Trobe University, where she played a leading role in developing the University’s mental health curriculum.  She has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy (BAppSc (OT)) and a Masters by research in Applied Science (MAppSc).

Ross Coverdale

Ross Coverdale was a long-term CEO of Araluen, a disability service in Melbourne’s north-eastern suburbs at the forefront of developing innovative supports and housing for adults with intellectual disabilities. Ross has vast community sector experience having worked in homelessness, mental health, youth, and literacy promotion. He spent three years in Zimbabwe managing a hospital and HIV/AIDS projects and coordinating village-based community development.

Ross also held roles in consumer advocacy and community engagement, and committee memberships including with the Royal Children’s Cancer Centre, establishment of the Eltham Community Hospital, the Salvation Army, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Centrelink, the Telecommunication Industry Ombudsman, and the Victorian Council of Social Services.

Baruch Goberman

Baruch is passionate about patient-centred care and improving health outcomes. He has been involved in pre-hospital emergency care for almost a decade, through Ambulance services, the military, and the private sector.

Starting his healthcare journey overseas with the Red Cross, Baruch currently treats over 500 patients a year as a volunteer First Responder with Hatzolah – an Ambulance Victoria Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). His patients include those from diverse backgrounds, cultures and religions, including the Jewish community through his work with Hatzoah. He is an active volunteers for youth camps, including programs for young people with a disability.

Baruch served as a Chief Battalion Medic in the military, in a unit of over 750 personnel, overseeing operational planning and deployment to deliver medical care.

Alongside his university studies, he works in the medical training sector, including training members of the Australian Humanitarian Roster.

Cara Hudson

Cara Hudson grew up in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, where lived experiences as a proud member of the LGBTIQ+ community have fuelled a strong passion for advocating for equality and driving positive change.

Cara has actively contributed to the local area by serving on both the Disability Advisory Committee and the Access, Inclusion, and Equity Advisory Committee, working to ensure that all voices are heard and represented in the community.

In personal time, Cara enjoys spending quality moments with family, exploring vegan food and coffee, and engaging in various art and craft projects.

Dr Pauline Rogers

Dr Pauline Rogers has over 25 years educational and leadership experience. As an educator she understands that professionals and leaders working in educational settings are often the first to witness a student’s medical incident or identify a health condition, while also being responsible to provide ongoing support of more complex medical issues ranging from physical to mental health.

Working at the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Pauline drives change in the acessibility space through, policy and procedure development, assessment creation, and online delivery. She is dedicated to making positive changes and actively listens to learners.

Strengthening health and education in regional, rural and remote communities is a passion for Pauline from her years of experience in living, working and volunteering in Mildura and Ballarat.

Pauline’s Board roles include Women’s Health Grampians deputy chair and governance subcommittee chair, and Buninyong and District Financial Services (Bendigo Bank) Board member. Previous community work includes Rowville CFA Auxiliary, Buninyong School Council member, Buninyong junior cricket program coordinator, and children’s dance, musical theatre, and junior football volunteer.

Kane Treloar

Kane Treloar has worked in emergency services roles in the Victorian community in a volunteer and professional capacity for almost 20 years. He is currently a board director at Life Saving Victoria, where he holds responsibility for the lifesaving services portfolio which, through more than 3500 volunteer lifesavers, deliver rescue services to the Victorian community.

Kane was born and raised in Melbourne’s west, where he spent the last decade as a Victoria Police member.  His work at Life Saving Victoria and Victoria Police has enabled Kane to engage with a broad cross section of the community. He is passionate about equal access to community services and opportunities for to success.

Kane also works as a risk advisor in Australia and overseas and is a board member of Urban Camp, which provides urban experiences for young people from regional communities.