The Consultative Council was formed in 1999, and its role was to provide guidance and advice on the development of CDI's policy and strategic direction. The Council examined CDI's scheduled activities to ensure their coherence and appropriateness; provided guidance on effective means of implementation; and, where appropriate, participated in the planning and implementation of CDI's activities. In December 2008, the Australian Government took the decision to discontinue the Consultative Council, noting that CDI had matured as an organisation and no longer required the type of guidance provided by the Council over the last 9 years.

The final CDI Consultative Council membership:
Chair: Mr Tony Eggleton AO CVO , Board member of CARE International, member of Australia's Aid Advisory Council, former Chair of the Asia-Pacific Democratic Union and former Federal Director of the Liberal Party. Professor Ben Reilly, CDI Director Mr Lynton Crosby AO, Joint Managing Director, Crosby Textor Research Strategies Results Mr Gary Gray AO Mr Brian Loughnane, Federal Director, Liberal Party of Australia Professor Andrew MacIntyre, Director, Crawford School of Economics & Government, Australian National University Ms Ali Gillies, ADG, Governance and Capacity Building, AusAID Dr Andrew Southcott MP, Federal Member for Boothby, South Australia Mr Robert McClelland MP, Federal Member for Barton Councillor Paul Bell AM, President , Australian Local Government Association Ms Vicki Bourne, Former Australian Democrats Senator Mr Ian Campbell, Australian Electoral Commissioner Mr Tim Gartrell, National Secretary, Australian Labor Party Ms Dawn Lawrie JP CMC Ms Trish Worth, Former Federal Member for Adelaide, South Australia, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing.
Further information and items on the CDI Consultative Council:
2007
	Final CDI Consultative Council Meeting - December 2007		11th CDI Consultative Council Meeting - June 2007
2006
	10th CDI Consultative Council Meeting - November 2006		Media Release - 26 May 06: New Chair for Major Centre for Regional Democracy
	9th CDI Consultative Council Meeting - June 2006
2005
	8th CDI Consultative Council Meeting - November 2005		7th CDI Consultative Council Meeting - June 2005
1998 - 2004
	The CDI Consultative Council decides to extend focus to Political Parties - 2004		Media Release: Leading Australians to Advise Centre for Democratic Institutions - 2003
	CDI Consultative Group Announced - July 1999
Former CDI Consultative Council / Group Members