La Trobe University > Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society > Our work > Peer lived living experience > PiLLARS Project

PiLLARS Project

Peer Lived-Living Expertise Alliance for Research Strength and Solidarity

2026

The disempowerment of marginalised groups results in major social, health and economic costs.

Meaningful involvement and leadership of people with peer lived and living experience (PLLE) of marginalisation can transform health and social services by embedding equity, improving service relevance, and fostering systemic change.

Contemporary health policies and workforce development strategies prioritise PLLE programs and leadership, with escalating investment in the past five years. Yet, the required community and sector knowledge to strengthen these PLLE program investments is disconnected and siloed across diverse communities.

In Australia, PLLE programs include intersecting marginalised communities (e.g. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer [LGBTIQ] communities), stigmatised conditions (e.g. people living with mental illness, HIV, viral hepatitis), and criminalised groups (e.g. people who use drugs and sex workers).

These PLLE programs operate within diverse leadership, governance and policy frameworks, underpinned by varying histories, legal and stigma contexts, with these distinctions often poorly understood by those both within and outside the PLLE sector.

This innovative study builds on 18 months of co-development with an emphasis on feasibility and impact. Led by a team with deep expertise and lived experience, this alliance brings together internationally recognised PLLE researchers across academic and community sectors with strong expertise and history of collaboration. It embeds genuine PLLE involvement throughout leadership, governance, data collection, analysis and translation, exemplifying our commitment to impactful, community-engaged research.

This alliance of PLLE practice and research will co-investigate diverse approaches to PLLE programs from across Australia. The insights will strengthen PLLE programs and leadership, and inform health policy to improve outcomes for marginalised communities.

PiLLARS is a partnership of 18 organisations:

(alphabetical)

  • ARCSHS, La Trobe University
  • Australian Alcohol and other Drugs Council
  • Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League
  • Curtin University
  • Deakin University
  • Health Equity Matters
  • Hepatitis Australia
  • Hepatitis B Voices
  • LGBTIQ+ Health Australia
  • Lived Experience Australia
  • Mind Australia
  • National Association of People Living with HIV Australia
  • Scarlet Alliance, Australian Sex Workers Association
  • Thorne Harbour Health
  • Transgender Victoria
  • University of Queensland
  • Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing
  • VMIAC

Another 10 organisations collaborating with the project include:

  • ACON
  • Harm Reduction Victoria
  • Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council
  • Peer Based Harm Reduction WA
  • Positive Life NSW
  • Queensland Injectors Voice for Advocacy and Action
  • Queensland Positive People
  • Self Help Addiction Resource Centre
  • Sex Worker Outreach Project NSW
  • Thread: community+health (HepatitisWA and WAAC).

Contact

Graham Brown, ARCSHS: Graham.Brown@latrobe.edu.au

Emily Lenton, ARCSHS: e.lenton@latrobe.edu.au or (03) 9479 8331

Funding

This project is funded by an NHMRC Partnership Grant.