Minister
Hon Jarrod Bleijie
Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning and Minister for Industrial Relations
Ministerial Office Address
1 William Street
BRISBANE QLD 4000
Phone: (07) 3719 7100
Email: deputypremier@ministerial.qld.gov.au
Executive management
Donna Heelan
A/Deputy Director-General, Office of Industrial Relations
Donna is currently the acting Deputy Director-General for the Office of Industrial Relations, which is responsible for regulatory frameworks, policy advice and compliance activities for work health and safety, electrical safety, industrial relations and workers’ compensation – to improve the wellbeing of all Queenslanders by making Queensland safer and supporting fair and productive workplaces. Donna’s previous roles include Executive Director, Electrical Safety Office, Regional Director, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland; Director, Agriculture and Manager, Coronial Liaison Support Services and holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management.
Robert Wicks
A/Executive Director, Electrical Safety Office
Robert oversees the strategic delivery of electrical safety across Queensland, by developing and enforcing standards for electrical safety and promoting improved safety in the wider community. This includes enforcement activities to promote compliance, licensing, approval of electrical equipment and accreditation regimes, education and training to help reduce the risk of death, injury and destruction of property caused by electricity. As the acting Executive Director, Electrical Safety Office (ESO), Rob serves as a member of the Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council, and Chair, Standing Committee of Officials, Electrical Equipment Safety System.
Rob has worked in a variety of state and commonwealth government roles with over 20 years’ experience in regulatory and operational environments, including his substantive role as the Director, Renewable Energy and Compliance and previous roles as Director, Supply & Networks, ESO, and as a Regional Director of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland. Rob holds Diplomas in Public Safety and Investigations, a Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management and an Executive Masters in Public Administration from Griffith University and the Australian and New Zealand School of Government.
Bradley Bick
A/Executive Director, Strategic Communications and Data
Brad oversees three key areas within the Office of Industrial Relations (OIR): Strategic Communications, Data and Evaluation Services, and Right to Information and Privacy. His role involves leading the delivery of impactful communication campaigns that align with OIR’s strategic goals and leveraging data insights to guide organisational decision-making.
With over 20 years of experience in the organisation, Brad is deeply passionate about work health and safety. He has worked in various roles and areas, including as a work health and safety inspector, research officer in the rural unit, secretariat for board services and more recently in the workers’ compensation policy space. Brad holds tertiary qualifications in occupational health and safety and public policy analysis, and has also worked in the private sector in health and safety for manufacturing and business advisory services.
Brad is known for his energetic and engaging personality. He enjoys connecting with new people and building lasting relationships to support his work and achieve outcomes. When he's not at work, you can often find him doing what he enjoys - running or getting sweaty at F45!
Andrea Fox
Executive Director, Policy and Workplace Services
Andrea'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 effected by them. She has policy making experience working with a diverse range of industries including work health and safety, industrial relations, vocational training, transport, energy, natural resources and child protection reform.
Since 2017, Andrea has focused on work health and safety. She is the Queensland member of Safe Work Australia, where she contributes to the national development of work health and safety 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.
Sarina Wise
Executive Director, Compliance and Field Services
Sarina is the Executive Director for WHS Compliance and Field Services. She oversees the strategic direction of compliance and field services to enable industries to achieve safer workplaces. Responsibilities include development and implementation of compliance strategies to reduce work-related fatalities, injuries and diseases within priority industry and hazard areas across Queensland. Sarina is also responsible for managing state-wide investigations into work-related fatalities and serious injuries and overseeing the workplace health and safety inspectorate and Licensing and Advisory Services.
Sarina has worked in a range of state government regulatory roles over the last 15 years. Most recently she held a Senior Executive role for SafeWork NSW where she headed up one of the critical Inspectorates in NSW. During her time in NSW, she was responsible for leading the Food Delivery Rider Safety Taskforce which led to the introduction of WHS legislation specifically for gig-economy workers in NSW.
Sarina holds a post graduate degree in Government Investigations Management and is the Queensland member of the Heads of Workplace Safety Authority (HWSA).
Janene Hillhouse
Executive Director, Workers' Compensation Regulatory Services
Janene has over 20 years’ experience delivering policy and regulatory outcomes across workers’ compensation, work health and safety and electrical safety. Janene has responsibility for developing and providing strategic advice on workers’ compensation policy and legislation as well as overseeing the regulatory functions of Queensland’s Workers’ Compensation Regulator. This includes overseeing the review and appeal of insurer decisions, the licensing, performance monitoring and compliance of the scheme’s self-insurers, the Medical Assessment Tribunal and workers’ compensation prosecutions.
Janene holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Information Technology, and a Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management.
Johanna Sutherland
Executive Director, Specialised Health and Safety Services
Johanna provides leadership and oversight for the department’s data, right to information and privacy, and strategic communication and engagement functions, leading a team that fosters open communication and continuous learning to remain agile and responsive to evolving regulations and public needs.
Johanna has a strong commitment to the delivery of strategic goals and customer focused regulatory services in collaboration with staff, communities, and stakeholders. Her career has focused on the effective use of regulatory interventions to uplift safety outcomes for workers in Queensland.
Johanna is passionate about collaborating effectively to identify and develop forward-thinking, research-driven strategic communications programs that prioritise data analytics to inform decision-making and enhance engagement. She has 16 years of regulator experience working in a range of regulatory and operational roles including most recently as Director of Licensing and Regulatory Interventions, WHSQ and holds a Diploma in Management.
Vivienne Van Der Laak
Executive Director, Corporate
Vivienne oversees the corporate functions of the Office of Industrial Relations. The role has responsibility for Finance, Procurement and Facilities, Information Communication and Technology, Human Resources, Organisational Culture, Workforce Capability and Organisational Safety, working closely across OIR to deliver long term financial, technological, cultural and resource outcomes essential for the organisation’s performance.
Vivienne has led teams across a number of public sector agencies, and brings a passion for delivering fit-for-purpose, sustainable solutions. Vivienne holds qualifications in Law, Behavioural Science, Policy Analysis and Business.
Natalie Wakefield
Executive Director, Industrial Relations
Natalie is responsible for overseeing Queensland’s Industrial Relations legislation, policy, regulatory and advisory functions. This includes strategic oversight of public sector industrial relations and regulation of labour hire, long service leave, child employment and other State industrial relations legislation.
Natalie has over 25 years of public sector experience in client service, regulatory and enabling functions across the Queensland and Victorian government.
Most recently, Natalie was the Director of the Labour Hire Licensing Compliance Unit in Queensland, before establishing the Intelligence Compliance and Enforcement Division in Victoria’s Labour Hire Authority, where she was also able to work on the national harmonisation of labour hire licensing.
Natalie holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons), a Bachelor of Commerce and a certificate in Mediation.