Role
The HWT:
- provides advice and recommendations to the Health Chief Executives’ Forum (HCEF) and HMM about actions to address priority workforce challenges across the health, mental health, aged care, and disability sectors
- coordinates and oversees implementation of HMM-agreed strategic priority actions relating to health workforce
- develops, and coordinates targeted implementation of national workforce strategies
- oversees the national legislation regulating health practitioners
- engages with regulatory bodies and other intergovernmental governance groups to inform, progress and implement priority initiatives and strategies.
Members
HWT members include officers from the Australian Government, and all state and territory jurisdictions. A HCEF member chairs the HWT which reports to the HCEF.
| Chair | Susan Pearce AM, Secretary, NSW Ministry of Health |
| Deputy Chair | Dr Robyn Lawrence PSM, Chief Executive, Department for Health and Wellbeing, South Australia |
| Australian Capital Territory | Robyn Hudson, Deputy Director-General, Policy and Transformation, ACT Health Directorate |
| Commonwealth | Penny Shakespeare, Deputy Secretary, Health Resourcing Group, Department of Health and Aged Care |
| New South Wales | Desiree Blackett, Director, Workforce Governance, NSW Ministry of Health |
| Northern Territory | Renae Moore, Chief Allied Health Officer, NT Health |
| Queensland | Wendy Richards, A/Assistant Deputy Director-General, Workforce, Queensland Health |
| South Australia | Judith Formston, Deputy Chief Executive, Corporate and Infrastructure, Department for Health and Wellbeing, South Australia |
| Tasmania | Helen Mulcahy, A/Director, Health Workforce Planning Unit, Department of Health, Tasmania |
| Victoria | Kate Matson, Executive Director, Workforce Strategy and Planning, Operational Support and Improvement Policy, Hospitals and Health Services Division, Department of Health, Victoria |
| Western Australia | Dr Sheralee Tamaliunas, A/Assistant Director General, Clinical Excellence Division, Department of Health, Western Australia |
Meetings
The HWT meets regularly, via a mix of virtual and face-to-face meetings to discuss and progress health workforce priorities.
Current projects
The HWT works on a variety of projects. Current work includes:
- implementing the recommendations of the independent review of health practitioner regulatory settings
- reforming accreditation of specialist medical training sites
- NRAS Complexity Review
- National Allied Health Workforce Strategy
- supply and demand modelling
- National Maternity Workforce Strategy 2026–2036.
News updates
Health Workforce Taskforce – News updates
This collection contains news updates from the Health Workforce Taskforce (HWT).
Related committees or groups
The HWT reports to:
- the Health Ministers’ Meeting (HMM)
- the Health Chief Executives’ Forum (HCEF)
Subcommittees include the:
- NRAS Policy and Legislation Committee
- National e-Portfolio Project Board.
Contact
Health Workforce Taskforce secretariat
Contact us for more information about the Health Workforce Taskforce.
Date last updated: