Why do we have a Board?
In November 2016, the then NA service area of Greater Queensland replaced the Area Service Committee (ASC) with a Group Service Forum (GSF) system known as the Service System Project (SSP). The broad principles underlying the SSP are group support, planning and collective decision making.
Under the new decentralised service delivery system, the Local Service Conference (LSC) was formed to provide service delivery direction to the Board. The Board reports to and is accountable to the LSC and to the groups they serve. The Board was renamed and became known as the Greater Queensland Service Board from 2016-2019.
At the October 2019 LSC, the decision was made to incorporate Greater Queensland and the Northern Territory into one service area known as the Narcotics Anonymous Northern Australia Service Area (NANASA). The Board is now referred to as the Northern Australia Service Board.
What does the Board do?
The primary functions of the Northern Australia Service Board (NASB) are to:
- accomplish the goals and realise the vision of the LSC as recommended by the GSFs
- responsible for the day to day service delivery as prioritised by the LSC
NA service delivery relates to H&I (virtual and face to face), Public Relations, the NA phone line, Seventh Tradition fund flow, Fellowship development events and NA conventions.
The Board supports GSFs to meet the service and recovery needs of their Members by providing service workshops and coordinating the LSC. The Board also endeavours to prioritise service delivery where GSFs lack resources.
Hands-on service delivery can also be delegated by the Board to short and long-term workgroups or committees. Examples of LSC projects are the Convention Committee and Unity Days.
Ongoing services the Board administers include management of Seventh Tradition funds, the NANASA webpage, H&I and attending Australian Regional Service Committee (ARSC) meetings.
The Board handles the Northern Australian finances and ensures NA funds are used prudently to fund events in Northern Australia. Additionally, the Board regularly fund flows up to the ARSC to keep the global Fellowship functioning.
The Board reports to and is accountable to the LSC and to the GSFs it serves.