Board and Governance
Board of Directors
Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) commits to strong, effective governance. We are an independent not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. A membership-based organisation, NQPHN is registered as a charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for Profits Commission.
The NQPHN Board is a skills-based Board, which has four key committees:
Nomination and Remuneration
This committee makes recommendations to the Members for Director appointments and re-elections. It assists the Board to fulfil its corporate governance responsibilities regarding performance, induction programs, and continuing professional development for Directors and remuneration of Directors.
People and Performance
The People and Performance Committee provides oversight of organisational culture and other aspects of human resources. It makes recommendations to the Board regarding Senior Executive succession planning, remuneration and performance evaluation, reviewing compliance with the Corporate Code of Ethical Conduct, and overseeing any investigation of improper conduct initiated under NQPHN’s Protective Disclosure (Whistle-blower) Program.
Finance, Audit, and Risk Management (FARM)
This committee assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibility to exercise due care, diligence, and skill in relation to the budget planning process and monitoring of performance. It also focuses on financial investment strategy, contracting arrangements, the integrity of NQPHN’s financial reports and statements, adequacy, and performance of NQPHN’s internal control framework, external and internal audit processes, and the framework established by management to identify, assess, and manage risk.
Clinical Governance
The Clinical Governance Committee provides the Board with contemporary advice and recommendations on matters of clinical governance, commissioning (specifically, planning and design of services), stakeholder engagement, and continuing development and refinement of the Health Needs Assessment (HNA) – now updated to the Joint Regional Needs Assessment 2025-28 (JRNA) - and related strategic planning documents. All committees have levels of delegated authority for core decision making.
Board members
The below members served on the NQPHN Board during the 2024-25 financial year.
Jeff Stewart-Harris
Board Chair
Sharon Kelly
Deputy Chair
Suzanne Andrews
Board Director
Tara Diversi
Board Director
Michelle Hardy
Board Director
Tanika Parker
Board Director
Dr Toni Weller
Board Director
Dr Konrad Kangru
Board Director
Gerard Wyvill
Board Director
View the Board and Committees attendance for the 2024-25 financial year
Clinical Council and Community Advisory Group
Clinical Council
The Clinical Council provides the NQPHN Clinical Governance sub-committee of the Board with contemporary advice on local health needs and priorities.
It ensures there is an appropriate evidence base to regional commissioning, specifically, planning and design of services, stakeholder engagement, and continuing development and refinement of the Health Needs Assessment - now the Joint Regional Needs Assessment 2025-28 (JRNA).
The Clinical Council provides a critical overview of the NQPHN regions to ensure that overall investment is in line with the regional needs assessment.
The council acts in an advisory capacity to the NQPHN Clinical Governance Committee, which has the delegated responsibility of the NQPHN Board.
Membership of the council comprises GPs, allied health workforce, mental health clinicians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and practitioners, community/practice nurses, and public health/health promotion representatives. They meet four times a year.
Community Advisory Group
NQPHN's Community Advisory Group (the Group) covers the Cape and Torres, Cairns and Hinterland, Townsville, and Mackay regions.
Group members comprise health service users, consumers, carers, and community members, and act as a critical friend to NQPHN by bringing a community perspective to advise the planning of activities and priorities.
The Group’s advice is aligned with NQPHN’s Health Needs Assessment, now the Joint Regional Needs Assessment 2025-28 (JRNA), along with local and Commonwealth priorities.
The aim of the Group is to enable health system improvement and reform in local regions and for identified community groups. They ensure community ideas drive improvements in person-centred care to deliver better health outcomes that are locally relevant and aligned to local care experiences and expectations.
The Group also guides and advises NQPHN to improve its social impact, cultural security, and patient safety of programs that it commissions throughout the region.
As champions of change, members maximise and leverage their own community networks to improve health outcomes through coordinated care.
The Community Advisory Group plays a key role in helping to guide NQPHN in ensuring activities are connected to and supported by the communities it serves.
