New chairs appointed to Australian nursing and chiropractic boards
23 Oct 2026
The Ministerial Council for the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme has announced two new board chairs, along with appointments and reappointments to several National Boards.
Dr Paula Medway, a registered nurse and endorsed midwife from South Australia, will lead the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. She served as deputy chair for the past two years and has more than 30 years of experience across clinical care, public health, regulation and policy development.
Dr Medway is currently the Principal Midwifery and Nursing Advisor – Clinical Care and Innovation in the South Australian Department for Health and Wellbeing.
She succeeds Adjunct Professor Veronica Casey AM, who has completed her second term as chair. Michelle Garner has also joined the Nursing and Midwifery Board as a practitioner member representing Queensland.
Dr Medway said she aims to support practitioners to work to their full scope of practice while maintaining public safety and improving community health outcomes.
Dr Michael Shobbrook AM has been appointed chair of the Chiropractic Board of Australia. The ACT practitioner has served on the board since November 2021 and brings more than 30 years of clinical experience, along with over two decades of experience in regulation and accreditation in Australia and overseas.
He replaces Dr Wayne Minter AM, who joined the board in 2013 and served as chair from 2014 until 2026.
Dr Shobbrook said he looked forward to working with chiropractors, patients and other stakeholders to keep the board’s regulatory work clear and focused on public safety.
The Ministerial Council also announced appointments and reappointments across five other National Boards:
- Medical Board of Australia: Donna Thomas was reappointed as a community member.
- Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia: Kate Henderson was reappointed as a community member, while Associate Professor Jennifer McIntosh was appointed to the role for the first time.
- Osteopathy Board of Australia: Dr Casey Beaumont, Dr Zoe Wood and Dr Timothy McNamara were reappointed as practitioner members.
- Podiatry Board of Australia: Professor Andrew Taggart was reappointed as a community member.
- Psychology Board of Australia: Professor Kimberley Norris was reappointed as a practitioner member.
The appointments are for three-year terms. Existing appointments not affected by the changes will continue.
Ahpra CEO Justin Untersteiner congratulated the incoming chairs and board members, highlighting their role in strengthening public protection and supporting a changing health system. He also acknowledged the contributions of the outgoing chairs.
New chairs appointed to Australian nursing and chiropractic boards
Source: Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing — Health Ministers’ Meeting Communiqué, 19 October 2026.