Appointments to the Ahpra Board and National Boards

10 Sep 2025

The vital work and reform agenda of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and National Boards has been bolstered through a series of appointments announced by Health Ministers.

Following a thorough recruitment process, Health Ministers have made two significant reappointments to the Ahpra Board and confirmed nine new members of National Boards. 

Current Ahpra Board Chair Ms Gill Callister PSM was re-appointed as Chair and a member with expertise in health, education and training, business and administration. Ms Callister is CEO of community-based mental health organisation Mind Australia and has dedicated her career to improving public policy and service delivery, particularly for vulnerable people in the community. Ms Callister has been Board Chair since July 2019.

Ministers also re-appointed Honorary Associate Professor Carmen Parter as a Board member with expertise in health, education and training, business and administration for a second term on the Board. Ms Parter is a proud Murri woman from Murrana, Juru & Darumbal clans of the Birra Gubba Nation of Queensland with South Sea Island heritage. Ms Parter has been a volunteer, clinician, educator, policy maker, manager of project teams, a senior executive leader, theorist and scholar and works as an Associate Professor and researcher at Djurali Centre.

Both have been re-appointed for three years, effective from 24 July 2025.

Ministers also thanked current Ahpra Board Member, Ms Barbara Yeoh AM, for her contributions to the National Scheme since 2014, noting that her term completes in November this year.

Ahpra CEO Justin Untersteiner welcomed the Ministerial re-appointments to the Ahpra Board and said the decision reflected confidence in the Board and in Ahpra’s reform agenda.

‘I thank Ministers for their decision which provides the organisation with the leadership and stability it needs as we work through our significant reform agenda,’ he said.

In addition, Health Ministers also announced nine new appointments to fill vacancies on six National Boards.

All the new Board members are first term appointments and effective from 24 July 2025. The new appointments are:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia: Miss Caroline Brim Hudson, appointed practitioner member from Western Australia for three years.

Medical Board of Australia: Prof Martin Veysey, appointed as practitioner member from the Australian Capital Territory for three years.

Optometry Board of Australia: Dr Emily Pieterse, appointed a practitioner member from Queensland for three years; Mr Neville Turner, appointed as practitioner member from Victoria for three years; Ms Joanna Saies, appointed as a community member for three years.

Osteopathy Board of Australia: Ms Meryl Zweck, appointed as community member for three years.

Pharmacy Board of Australia: Dr Miranda Batten, appointed as practitioner member from the Australian Capital Territory for three years; Ms Gail Mulcair, appointed as a community member for three years.

Podiatry Board of Australia: Ms Jeanette Barker, appointed as a community member in an acting capacity for one year. 

All other current National Board appointments continue.