The Aged Care Quality and Safety Advisory Council (the Council) advises the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner. This advice relates to the Commissioner's functions.
The Council can also advise the Minister for Health and Aged Care regarding these functions.
The Council was established under Section 37 of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Act 2018. Its members have extensive experience in aged care, including clinical care, service delivery, consumer representation and more.
Council members
Maree McCabe AM (Chair)
Maree is a recognised leader in the health and aged care sector. She has 20 years of experience in the health, mental health and aged care sectors.
Maree is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dementia Australia and a board member.
As CEO, she oversaw the transformation of the federated Alzheimer’s Australia into Dementia Australia, a unified, national organisation.
Carolanne Barkla
Carolanne is the CEO of the Aged Rights Advocacy Service (ARAS) in South Australia.
She's worked in aged care and elder law as a registered nurse and as a Director of Nursing.
Andrea Coote
Andrea was our first Council chair from 2019 to 2022. In 2021, she became the inaugural Chair of the National Aged Care Advisory Council.
She was a Victorian Member of Parliament and served as the Parlimentary Secretary for Families and Community Services. She was also Shadow Minister for Ageing and Carers. Andrea was a member of the Victorian Parliament’s inquiry into child abuse.
Julie Dundon
Julie is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian. She's also a Director of Nutrition Professionals Australia (NPA), consulting with the aged care and food industries.
Julie is the Aged Care Subject Matter Lead for Dietitians Australia. She's lectured at the University of South Australia and Flinders University. Her lecture topics have included aged care nutrition and private practice.
Sally Evans
Sally is an experienced board member. She specialises in regulated services, including aged care and retirement living.
Her governance skills include strategy, risk, capital and change management.
Sally chairs LifeCircle, creating better outcomes for dying people and their families.
Professor Susan Kurrle
Susan practises geriatric medicine at the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai and Batemans Bay hospitals.
Her research areas include the care aspects of dementia and appropriate health services for older people.
Susan has served on the Board of Alzheimer’s Australia (NSW) and continues to work with them.
Barry Sandison
Barry is a Research Fellow with the Australian National University’s College of Health and Medicine and the Paul Ramsay Foundation.
He's interested in using data to respond to critical social issues.
Barry has 40 years of experience in the public sector across more than 13 agencies. His expertise covers health and welfare-related work.
Ex officio members
Ms Janet Anderson PSM (Commissioner)
Janet started as our inaugural Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Commissioner in 2019.
Read more about her work and background on our Executive Leadership page.
Dr Melanie Wroth (Chief Clinical Advisor)
Melanie Wroth started as our Chief Clinical Advisor in May 2019.
Read more about her work and background on our Executive Leadership page.
Ms Amy Laffan (Department of Health and Aged Care)
Amy is the First Assistant Secretary of the Aged Care Quality & Assurance Division in the Department of Health and Aged Care.
She oversees critical elements of aged care quality reform.
Amy has 20 years of social policy experience in the Australian Public Service.
Richard Hanssens
Richard Hanssens has worked for the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission for over thirteen years.
He has held a variety of roles including quality assessor, national decision maker and group leader of quality assessors; and is currently a review officer in the reviews and reconsiderations section of the Commission.
He has been a long time CPSU delegate and recently served on the CPSU Section Council for cross agency delegates in both social services and those supporting the national disability insurance scheme.