Governance and Accountability
As membership organisation, Housing Queensland is accountable to its members for its actions. As outlined in the Housing Queensland Engagement Strategy, we have embedded requirements to consult with our members regularly. We are accountable to our Board in meeting our strategic plan and operational priorities.
Members
Housing Queensland seeks to enhance members’ understanding of our impact, responsibilities and policies. We share this through:
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- Media releases
- Briefing notes
- Our housingqueensland.com.au website and Member’s Portal
- Our weekly newsletter, Gunya
- The appearance of the Chief Executive Officer and senior officers before member forums.
- Our annual report.
Speeches and presentations are other avenues through which Housing Queensland explains its views to members and stakeholders.
Funding Parter
Since 2020, Housing Queensland has been financially supported by the Queensland Government. The Chief Executive Officer and senior officers meet regularly with the Department of Housing to report on funding, recommendations to improve housing outcomes and other matters falling within the responsibility of the Queensland Government.
Our Governance
Housing Queensland has a skills-based board of directors who are housing and social services content experts. The Housing Queensland Board delegates particular responsibilities concerning management of the company to the CEO and is supported by an experienced Company Secretary and independent committee chairs.
The ‘mandate’ or ‘charter’ of the Board is contained in the Housing Queensland Governance Framework.
The Board is responsible for:
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- recruiting, managing, developing and terminating the CEO
- governing the organisation
- ensuring the organisation meets its compliance obligations
- setting our strategic direction
- helping the organisation achieve its purpose
- overseeing the financial performance of the organisation.
It is the duty of the board to ensure that the organisation is governed to create the greatest advantage to our members.
The main focus of discussions at board meetings is on operational and housing matters against the background of papers prepared by Housing Queensland staff about housing-related developments. These papers are supplemented by staff presentations at each board meeting.
The relationship between the board and government is formal. Government is to be informed, from time to time, of the Housing Queensland work—including its advocacy agenda. This occurs through regular contact between the CEO and other senior executives and the Australian and Queensland Governments.
Mary Doctor
Chairperson
Angelina Akee
Deputy Chairperson
Gary White
Director
Charles Martin
Director
Donna O'Chin
Director
Will Davis
Director
Nicole Huxley
Director
Kieren Chilcott
Independent Committee Chair
Andrew Niven
Independent Committee Chair
Sophie Pettigrew
Company Secretary
Governance Structure
The board has a Finance, Audit and Risk (FAR) Committee; a Nominations and Remuneration Committee and a Permissions Committee:
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- The primary objective of the FAR Committee is to report to the board on matters relevant to the fulfilment of the company’s obligations. This Committee assists the CEO and the board in fulfilling their obligations relating to financial reporting, risk management and fraud control, and regulatory compliance.
- The Nominations and Remuneration Committee makes recommendations to the Board on the governance matters, and the remuneration of the Chief Executive Officer. It is also kept informed of the general remuneration arrangements for staff.
- Our staff are required to disclose, and to have approval, to undertake any paid or unpaid external work activities. This information is published in our annual report to maintain transparency with our stakeholders and the broader community. Permission is granted by the Permissions Committee on a case-by-case basis. Common sense, sound judgment, mutual trust and integrity are applied in these matters.
Following appointment to the Housing Queensland Board, directors are required to sign a declaration to maintain secrecy in relation to the affairs of the board. Further, by law, directors must comply with the general duties of directors, as set out in the Corporations Act 2001. Directors have also adopted the Housing Queensland Code of Conduct Policy in recognition of their responsibility for maintaining a reputation for integrity and accountability.