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 | Dr Shirley Bowen, Director General, Department of Health, Western Australia |
| Deputy Chair | Dale Webster, Secretary, Department of Health, Tasmania |
| Australian Capital Territory | Dr Sue Fitzpatrick, Chief Allied Health Officer, ACT Health |
| Commonwealth | Jaye Smith, First Assistant Secretary, Health Workforce Division, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing |
| New South Wales | Desiree Blackett, Director, Workforce Governance, NSW Ministry of Health |
| Northern Territory | Kellie Wilton, Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer, NT Health |
| Queensland | Scott Bennett, Deputy Director-General, Health Workforce Division, Queensland Health |
| South Australia | Judith Brown, Deputy Chief Executive, Corporate and Infrastructure, Department for Health and Wellbeing, South Australia |
| Tasmania | Helen Mulcahy, Director, Health Workforce Planning, 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 Lesley Bennett, Deputy 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).
Reports and publications
Workforce Intelligence Report 2025
The Workforce Intelligence Report 2025 report builds on existing understanding of the health workforce by providing key insights into workforce retention, attrition and re-entry patterns, and innovative models that helped address workforce pressures during the pandemic.
Multidisciplinary Workforce Planning – Technical Guide
A practical, step by step guide that supports the adoption of needs and capabilities-based planning approach in the health system. It can be applied flexibly across services with different levels of workforce planning practices and capabilities.
Multidisciplinary Workforce Planning – Best and Emerging Practice Analysis Report
This report synthesises national and international evidence, jurisdictional insights and case studies in the health system. It also identifies key barriers, enablers and opportunities to support service level multidisciplinary workforce planning across Australia
Resources for internationally qualified health professionals and employers
Do you want to live and work in Australia?
Do you want to employ internationally qualified health professionals?
These resources bring together key information in one place.
They help people understand the steps they need to take and prepare to work in Australia’s health system.
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: