Join Health and Wellbeing Queensland

On behalf of Health and Wellbeing Queensland (HWQld), welcome to the dedicated microsite that provides information and instructions for Directors interested in submitting an application for a board member role.

Vision

HWQld’s vision is Generation Queensland – an intergenerational opportunity to improve the health and wellbeing of Queenslanders, especially our kids.

About Health and Wellbeing Queensland (HWQld)

HWQld was established on 1 July 2019, as an independent statutory body under the Health and Wellbeing Queensland Act 2019 (the Act), to improve the health and wellbeing of all Queenslanders and reducing health inequities.

HWQld is the state’s first dedicated public health agency. Public health is a group of three core services under prevention, protection and promotion, which HWQld delivers through targeting risk factors of obesity, poor nutrition and low physical activity.

Sustained investment in prevention and public health is needed to address the rates of chronic disease, improve wellbeing, stem growing health costs and disrupt cycles of disadvantage. HWQld is focusing on nutrition, physical activity and wellbeing to demonstrate the positive impacts prevention and strong public health can have on the population.

As an independent statutory body, HWQld: 

• achieves public health impact through coordinated efforts across diverse sectors, fostering innovation to support individual, community and environmental changes needed to reduce chronic disease and health inequities;
• ·is well positioned to strengthen linkages across sectors that have a role to play in chronic disease prevention and health promotion, promote better alignment between federal, state and local jurisdictions, and increase shared responsibility across the sectors; and
• ·is prepared to facilitate the growing expectation for a new public health movement that focuses on building the capacity of people and communities to be a key driver for social change in matters of health and wellbeing.

HWQld is a unit of public administration under the Crime and Corruption Act 2001; and a statutory body under the Financial Accountability Act 2009; and the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982.

Purpose

HWQld’s purpose is to partner, to create and to amplify policy and actions that achieve real and measurable improvements for the health of every Queenslander.

With a combination of prevention, health promotion and health protection and policy, HWQld can create environments that support health and disrupt the cycle that leads to obesity and overweight where we live, learn and work.

HWQld unites, enables and strengthens capacity of policy makers, organisations, service providers, researchers and communities to be a key force for good health and wellbeing.

Under the Act the main functions of HWQld are to:

• ·facilitate and commission activities to prevent illness and promote health and wellbeing;
• ·develop partnerships and collaborate across government and with other entities such as businesses, industry organisations, community organisations, academia, local governments and individuals, to further its objective and carry out its functions under the Act;
• ·give grants for activities to further its objective or carry out its functions under the Act;
• ·monitor and evaluate activities to prevent illness and promote health and wellbeing;
• ·develop policy, and advise the Minister and government entities, about illness prevention and promotion of health and wellbeing; and
• ·coordinate the exchange of information about activities to prevent illness and promote health and wellbeing.

When exercising these functions, HWQld seek to use an evidence-based and place-focused approach to target investments and efforts in locations according to local need.

For more information on Health and Wellbeing Queensland visit hw.qld.gov.au

For further information on the opportunity and the respective selection criteria please download the below Information Pack.

Board Member Role Information

The Board is established under the HWQld Act as the governing body of HWQld.

Board members hold office for a term of not longer than four years.

The Board has the following functions:

• ensuring the proper, efficient and effective performance of HWQld’s functions;
• deciding the objectives, strategies and policies to be followed by HWQld;
• ensuring that HWQld complies with its obligations under the HWQld Act and other laws; and
• any other function given to the Board under the HWQld Act or another Act.

Applicants should possess demonstrated skills, knowledge and experience in at least one or more of the following areas:

• law;
• business or financial management;
• public health;
• academia;
• community service organisations;
• the not-for-profit sector; or
• another area the Minister considers relevant or necessary to support the Board in performing its functions.

There is a requirement under the HWQld Act that at least one person on the Board must be an Aboriginal person or Torres Strait Islander.

The Board oversees an organisation which works across government, private and non-government sectors and around Queensland geographically to improve the health and wellbeing of Queenslanders.

The statewide remit of HWQld and the focus on delivering population-wide, sustainable improvements in health and wellbeing adds a level of complexity to the Board role.