In 2021 after hearing calls from communities for more local control over which health services are funded in the Torres and Cape, a group (Torres and Cape Healthcare Commissioning (TORCH) Project Steering Committee) was created to community leaders together with the state and commonwealth governments.

 In 2021-2022 the TORCH Project Steering Committee started to work with community leaders across Torres and Cape to plan how TORCH could work.

 In 2024, the TORCH Project Steering Committee stood up an indepedent, community-controlled regional commissioning organization, CaTHC, who will partner and engage with local communities to plan and purchase whole-of-population health services across the region.

Through a phased approach over the next ten years, all health commissioning responsibilities and funding for the region will transition to be administered by CaTHC, a community-controlled entity.

 Adopting an innovative commissioning approach, CaTHC’s community-controlled, population-based commissioning approach will drive collaboration, integration and better planning and investment decisions across healthcare settings - by community, for community.