Our members
SWA has 15 members including:
- an independent Chair
- nine members representing the Commonwealth and each state and territory
- two members representing the interests of workers
- two members representing the interests of employers
- the Chief Executive Officer of Safe Work Australia.
Members are nominated by their respective Minister or organisation and appointed by the Commonwealth Minister with responsibility for work health and safety matters for a three-year period. Safe Work Australia Members must meet at least three times each financial year and fulfil their functions as set out in the Safe Work Australia Act 2008.
In 2025, Safe Work Australia Members are scheduled to meet in March, June, September, and November.
The timing of meetings may change, subject to agreement by Safe Work Australia Members.
Tony Maher—Chair
From 2001 to 2005, Tony Maher served as a director of Coal Services Pty Ltd, a specialised health and safety scheme that provides an integrated suite of services to help identify, assess, monitor and control risks in the coal industry.
He was a member of the Mine Safety Advisory Council, a tripartite advisory body to the NSW Government on mine safety from 2002 to 2005.
Since 1998, Mr Maher has also been the General President of the Mining and Energy Union, which strongly advocates for mine worker safety and routinely engages with the Commonwealth and state governments on mine safety legislation, standards and codes of practice.
Mr Maher holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales.
Marie Boland—CEO
Marie Boland has been the Chief Executive Officer of Safe Work Australia since 1 November 2023.
Marie is a Member of Safe Work Australia and its subsidiary committees and a Commissioner of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission. She is a member of the Respect@Work Council and the G20 Occupational Safety and Health Expert Network, and an observer on the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities and the Heads of Workers’ Compensation Authorities.
Before joining Safe Work Australia, Marie offered independent work health and safety and workplace relations consultancy services.
Marie’s work health and safety experience spans many roles, including completing the 2023 review of the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner, the 2022 Review of the Conduct of Work Health and Safety Prosecutions in the Australian Capital Territory, an independent review of the South Australian local government sector's One System WHS Management System in December 2020 and the 2018 National Review of the model work health and safety laws (Boland Review). Marie was the 2021 Inaugural Thinker in Residence at the University of South Australia's Psychosocial Safety Climate Global Observatory. Marie has held senior roles at SafeWork South Australia as an Executive Director, Policy and Community Engagement Director and Chief Policy Officer.
Marie holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and Master of Arts from University College, Dublin, and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of Adelaide.
Jody Anderson—Commonwealth
Jody Anderson is a First Assistant Secretary at the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations within the Workplace Relations Group, and is also the Commonwealth representative of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission.
Jody commenced these roles in 2018. Prior to this role, Jody held a number of senior executive positions within the portfolio, leading strategic policy and implementation.
Jody has over 20 years of industrial relations experience in the public service, including extensive international policy and representational experience, leading Australia’s engagement with the International Labour Organization (ILO) for a number of years. She has also worked as an industrial relations practitioner in the Commonwealth and the ACT Public Service.
Jody has a Bachelor of Arts, Administration (University of Canberra), and a Graduate Diploma in Employment Relations (University of Canberra).
Trent Curtin—New South Wales
Trent serves as the Acting Deputy Secretary and Head of SafeWork NSW, bringing over two decades of experience in improving community safety to his role.
Trent embarked on his career in 1999 with the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) in Melbourne, where he served as a firefighter before advancing to strategic roles, then continuing his focus on community safety joining Fire and Rescue NSW in 2020. Throughout his career, Trent has been instrumental in leading major emergency responses, from industrial and high-rise building fires to devastating bushfires and floods. His proactive approach extends to collaborating with regulators, industry bodies and community groups to mitigate community safety risks.
At SafeWork NSW, Trent is leading a program of major reform to ensure NSW has a strong, modern and fit-for-purpose work health and safety regulator focused on securing safer and healthier workplaces for all workers across NSW. Trent is committed to fostering inclusive and diverse workplace cultures. He holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Joe Calafiore—Victoria
Joe is WorkSafe Victoria’s CEO joining in October 2023 responsible for occupational health and safety regulator and workplace injury insurance.
Prior to WorkSafe, Joe worked at Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission (TAC) for 15 years, where he was the CEO for 8 years. During his tenure serious trauma reduced and the scheme was returned to a strong and sustainable basis.
Joe has also served as Senior Political Advisor in a number of challenging portfolios including WorkCover, Finance, Industrial Relations, Transport, Police and Emergency Services.
He holds a Masters of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and is the Chair of the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust in his home town of Geelong.
Andrea Fox—Queensland
Andrea Fox’s career has spanned the public sector in Queensland, as well as working for a non-government organisation and teaching in the university sector. Andrea is genuinely committed to the principles of collaborative policy design, knowing that enduring and effective policy solutions are only devised when crafted with those affected by them. She has policy making experience working with a diverse range of industries including WHS, industrial relations, vocational training, transport, energy, natural resources, and child protection reform.
Since 2017, Andrea has focused on WHS. She is the Queensland Member of Safe Work Australia and the Strategic Issues Group of Safe Work Australia, where she contributes to the national development of WHS policy. Andrea has also chaired a number of tripartite steering groups for collaborative policy development and regulation setting across construction, agriculture and psychosocial hazards.
Andrea is an advocate for reconstructing growth economics away from GDP and towards the reconciliation of economics with ecology. Andrea holds a Bachelor of Economics, as well as a Masters in Social Science (Economics) from the University of Queensland.
Sally North—Western Australia
Sally North is the WorkSafe Commissioner in Western Australia. In this role she is the work health and safety regulator for the resources and general industries sectors. Commencing as an inspector, Sally has over twenty years’ experience at WorkSafe in operational and leadership roles. She is involved in state and national committees and working groups on work health and safety, and has qualifications in chemistry, occupational safety and health, occupational hygiene and business administration.
Sally values the opportunity to make a difference to the community through WorkSafe’s education, support and compliance teams and through collaborating with stakeholders.
Glenn Farrell—South Australia
Glenn Farrell is the Executive Director at SafeWork SA.
His career began in mechanical engineering within the aerospace industry in England where he spent 15 years working for Rolls Royce, a manufacturer of industrial, commercial and defence jet aircraft engines.
Glenn’s move to Australia secured him a role at SafeWork SA and for the past 20 years has worked across all areas of the Regulator, developing and implementing successful processes and delivering successful enforcement outcomes.
His extensive experience in world class processes in the UK and operating in a regulatory environment, has enabled him to provide compliance, investigative, technical and educational support services to a variety of stakeholders and become the State’s WHS Regulator.
Glenn is South Australia’s representative at the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities and Safe Work Australia.
Robyn Pearce—Tasmania
Robyn Pearce has been the Executive Director at WorkSafe Tasmania since March 2020.
Robyn’s pathway to WorkSafe Tasmania was through strategic human resource management and industrial relations in the public sector, with a focus on electricity supply and emergency services. Robyn led the introduction of strategic work health and safety frameworks in Tasmania Fire Service and chaired the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Work Health and Safety Group. Robyn was the industry lead end user for the occupational health and safety research program for the inaugural Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre.
Robyn’s particular interest and passion lies in leveraging organisational behaviour to achieve safer workplaces for industry and workers through positive and collaborative working relationships.
Peggy Cheong—Northern Territory
Peggy Cheong is the Executive Director of NT WorkSafe and is responsible for the regulation and administration of WHS, dangerous goods, electrical safety, and workers’ compensation and rehabilitation laws in the Northern Territory.
Peggy is an experienced litigation lawyer and accredited mediator, with nearly 30 years of substantial experience mostly in the areas of regulatory compliance, WHS, workers’ compensation, and employment law. She has held various roles within the Northern Territory legal sector, including as a long-time member and current president of the Council of the Law Society of the Northern Territory, a board member of the Darwin Community Legal Services Inc., and a volunteer at the Top End Women’s Legal Service. Prior to joining NT WorkSafe, she was the Deputy Chair of the NT Workers’ Rehabilitation and Compensation Advisory Committee.
Peggy holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Western Australia and a Bachelor of Law Degree from the University of Queensland. With her extensive experience and strong community focus, Peggy is pivotal in guiding the WHS systems in the Northern Territory.
Michael Young—ACT
Michael Young was appointed as a Safe Work Australia Member in May 2015. He is the Executive Group Manager of the ACT Government Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations office, where he is responsible for the Territory’s industrial relations, workers’ compensation and work safety regulatory frameworks.
Michael Young is a personal injury management professional with over 15 years’ experience in senior workers’ compensation and work safety regulatory roles. Michael plays an important role in delivering effective return to work and injury management services for the ACT Government.
Liam O'Brien—Australian Council of Trade Unions
Liam O’Brien was re-elected as Assistant Secretary at the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Congress in July 2024.
Before joining the ACTU Liam was the Victorian Assistant Secretary and National Vice-President of the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU). It was there where he fought for the rights of workers across the diverse range of industries that the AWU represents. As a national official he led the AWU’s work in the aluminium, aviation, glass and construction sectors.
As ACTU Assistant Secretary Liam is responsible for leading the movements policy, industrial and campaigning work on WHS and workers’ compensation matters. Liam is passionate about the rights of all workers to have safe, healthy and decent work, and is a Member of Safe Work Australia and the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Council.
Liam is also responsible for the skills and VET portfolio at the ACTU and is a member of the Jobs and Skills Australia Ministerial Advisory Board.
He also holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics, with a major in Economics.
He is the proud father of two kids and lives in Melbourne’s west.
Melissa Payne—Australian Council of Trade Unions
Melissa is the Assistant National Secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU).
Through her time at the CPSU Melissa has held a number of positions and overseen industrial and organising campaigns.
Melissa has also had responsibility for industrial outcomes, including workplace health and safety, extensive representation of injured workers, workers’ compensation matters, and other industrial matters affecting members.
Melissa has worked across all areas of the CPSU, including the federal public sector, telecommunications, broadcasting, and private sector industries since 2003, and is a Commissioner on the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission.
Rebecca Sostarko—Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Rebecca Sostarko is Director of Work, Health and Safety at the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (‘ACCI’) where she leads national advocacy on WHS, workers’ compensation and associated regulatory reform.
She currently serves on several key WHS-related committees, including the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Council, Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme and co-chairs the National Employers’ WHS Forum.
Prior to her current role, Rebecca worked in WHS policy for almost ten years at Master Builders Australia, where she sat on a number of national consultative committees, such as those facilitated by the Australian Building and Construction Commission, Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner, Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency, Fair Work Commission and Standards Australia.
Rebecca holds a Masters of Juris Doctor (UC), a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (ANU) and is admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in the Australian Capital Territory.
Prior to working in policy and advocacy, Rebecca practiced as a Construction Dispute Resolution lawyer and tutored in Construction Law at the University of Canberra. She was also the director of a family-owned building company for over a decade which provided her with an in-depth understanding of the building industry and associated regulatory issues and challenges faced by small businesses.
Tracey Browne—Australian Industry Group
Tracey Browne is Manager, National Safety and Workers’ Compensation Policy and Membership Services for the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group). Tracey commenced her tenure as a Member in 2018 but has represented Ai Group on all of the agency’s Strategic Issues Groups since their inception.
Before joining Ai Group Tracey held senior positions within the manufacturing sector in Human Resources, WHS and workers’ compensation. Tracey holds a Bachelor of Business (Personnel Management), Graduate Diploma in Occupational Hazard Management, and a Master of Applied Science in OHS.
In her role with Ai Group Tracey provides advice and training to employers in WHS and workers’ compensation, across all Australian jurisdictions, and brings her broad range of practical knowledge to her representation role at a national and jurisdictional level.