Commissioners

Peter Richards

Chairperson, Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission

Member since October 2020

Peter Richards has experience at senior executive levels in both State and Federal public sectors.

He has served as a Commissioner, and then as Senior Deputy President of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission and the Fair Work Commission. He was also a dual appointed Commissioner of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.

Peter has direct experience in workplace issues in a variety of industry sectors, including education, aviation, transport, manufacturing, building and construction and retail. Peter is also a qualified workplace investigator, having conducted investigations into a wide range of workplace conduct and behaviour issues, including organisation culture reviews.

Trevor Gauld

Member nominated by the Australian Council of Trade Unions

Member since July 2014

Trevor Gauld is the National Policy Officer for the Electrical Trades Union.

Trevor holds a variety of licences and qualifications relevant to the electrical industry and has worked across a large range of the different electrical industry sectors including power distribution and transmission, electrical maintenance and electrical construction.

He has extensive experience as both an elected health and safety representative in the workplace and as a Workplace Health and Safety Permit Holder under the Work Health and Safety Act in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Tasmania.

He began working full time for the Union in 2008 and during that time has represented his Unions members' interests on a variety of working committees, boards and advisory councils at both a State and Federal Level. Trevor is experienced in working with industry stakeholders to improve workplace health and safety as well as the development and implementation of agreed industry safety standards including advising regulatory agencies and Government on the application of relevant legislative instruments.

Trevor advocates strongly for a sensible and reasoned approach to occupational health and safety that delivers measurable outcomes rather than simply another administrative checklist. He is passionate about implementing systems which genuinely improve safety outcomes in the workplace through effective consultation and the appropriate application of the hierarchy of safety controls.

Melissa Payne

Member nominated by the Australian Council of Trade Unions

Member since July 2020

Melissa is the Deputy National President of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU).

Through her time at the CPSU Melissa has held a number of positions and overseen governance, industrial, and organising sections.

Melissa has also had responsibility for industrial outcomes, including workplace health and safety matters, extensive representation of injured workers, workers compensation matters and other industrial matters affecting CPSU members.

Melissa has worked across all areas of the Community and Public Sector Union including the federal public sector, telecommunications, broadcasting, and private sector industries since 2003.

Michael Flinn

Member nominated by the Australian Council of Trade Unions

Member since February 2022

Michael Flinn is the Executive Officer of the Australian Council of Trade unions and has worked within the Australian Trade Union Movement for over 35 years.

His professional background and training are in Education. He has worked as a teacher, as the National Secretary and the Victorian State Secretary of the Independent Education Union of Australia, Assistant State Secretary of the ASU of NSW, an Educator with the Aids Council of NSW, Chief of Staff to the Minister for Education in the Victorian Government, Executive officer of the CFMMEU, National Campaigns Co-Ordinator of the CFMMEU and is currently at the ACTU.

Michael has previously been a member of the ministerial advisory council on Gay and Lesbian Health.

Louisa Hudson

Member representing self-insured licensees

Member since November 2017

Louisa was elected by self-insured licensees to represent their views as a member of the SRCC.

Louisa has previously worked at the National Australia Bank (NAB) as Head of Health, Safety and Wellbeing.

Her team was responsible for health and safety, injury management and workers’ compensation for the approximately 30,000 employees across Australia.

She has a legal background in dispute resolution, practising in the area of insurance and risk. She also spent seven years as a Senior Legal Counsel with WorkSafe Victoria, where she was involved in the regulation of the compensation scheme as well as management of litigation at a scheme level.

Louisa is a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and chairs the TAC Board Risk Committee. She has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from Monash University, is an Australian legal practitioner and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Jody Anderson

Member representing the Commonwealth and Commonwealth authorities

Member since March 2019

Jody Anderson is a First Assistant Secretary at the Attorney-General’s Department, within the Industrial Relations Group, and is also the Commonwealth representative of Safe Work Australia.

Prior to her current 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 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).

Michelle Baxter

Chief Executive Officer, Safe Work Australia

Member since November 2013

Michelle Baxter is the Chief Executive Officer of Safe Work Australia.

Michelle has more than 20 years of experience in the public sector and has held a range of senior positions in the Australian Public Service including leading agency change at the Fair Work Ombudsman; and roles in the safety and entitlements area, and the Council of Australian Governments Taskforce at the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

In addition to representing Safe Work Australia as a Commissioner on the SRCC, Michelle sits on Safe Work Australia and its Strategic Issues Groups (SIGs) and represents Safe Work Australia on the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities and Heads of Workers' Compensation Authorities. Michelle has previously held positions representing the Commonwealth as a Commissioner on the SRCC; as a member of Safe Work Australia and as the Chair of Safe Work Australia's SIG on Workers' Compensation.

Michelle holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts from the Australian National University. Michelle is admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor in the Australian Capital Territory.

Vacant

Member representing the interests of members and former members of the Defence Force

Catherine Hudson

Member representing the interests of the Australian Capital Territory's public sector employers

Member since July 2014

Catherine has extensive strategy and governance experience including over 25 years working in government across a range of economic, social and environmental areas.

Her long career in the public sector (Queensland Public Service 1991-2003, and the ACT Public Service 2003-2014), included Deputy Director-General roles in the ACT Government from 2006 to 2014 and acting as Director-General for substantial periods of time. For five years she held the key integrity and governance position of ACT Commissioner for Public Administration. She has extensive experience in the provision of strategic advice on public policy issues across many portfolio areas, including industrial relations and work safety.

In 2014, she embarked on a company director career and established her own consulting business, Governance and Policy Innovation. Over the last five years Catherine has served on a number of Boards including as Deputy Chair of the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority, and as a Commissioner on the SRCC. She has also undertaken numerous consultancies providing board strategy and governance advice.

Catherine is an Australian Institute of Company Directors graduate and has an Economics Degree from the University of Adelaide.

Steve Somogyi

Member with qualifications or experience relevant to the SRCC's functions, or the exercise of its powers

Member since 1999

Steve has extensive experience in the financial services, health care and higher education industries. This includes 27 years with National Mutual as Chief Manager for New Zealand, Associate Director—Operations and Chief Finance Executive.

Steve was a Member of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority from July 2003 to June 2006 and was the Chief Operating Officer of RMIT University from 2006 to 2016.

Steve holds a Master of Science in Physics from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Science in Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australia. Steve has been a Commissioner on the SRCC since 1999, Chair of the Guild Group companies, Chair of Higher Ed Services, a Director of UniSuper and Chair of CourseLoop.

Jane Hall

Member with qualifications or experience relevant to the SRCC's functions, or the exercise of its powers

Member since November 2016

Jane Hall is the Founder and Principal Lawyer at boutique health and safety law firm, Loupe Legal.

During her 22-year career she has advised some of Australia’s leading brands as well as large public sector employers, on sensitive health and safety matters. This experience combined with her background as a former senior executive within a health and safety regulator sets her apart from her peers.

Her sense of community and commitment to health and safety are the driving forces behind her work.

She has been a member of the board of ACSO, a leading provider of forensic and community support services, since November 2017 and is a current member of the AICD.

Jane has been listed in the Occupational Health and Safety category of the AFR’s Best Lawyers Peer Review since 2014 and was recognised as their 2020 ‘Lawyer of the Year’ for Occupational Health and Safety, Melbourne.

Jane has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from the Australian National University. She is an Australian legal practitioner, admitted in New South Wales (1997) and in Victoria (2002).