Mary Murnane

Ms Mary Murnane

Ms Mary Murnane is a Deputy Secretary with the Department of Health and Ageing.

Deputy Secretary

Past work experiences include Primary and High School Teacher, University Tutor and Public Servant in Tasmania. She joined the Commonwealth Department of Social Security in 1984 as head of Office of Child Care. This was a time of significant structural change in the Public Service. In 1985 the Department of Community Services was created and she had responsibility for Child Care, Supported Accommodation, and Home and Community Care. In 1987 the Government established much larger Departments, one being the Department of Community Services and Health. Over a number of years Ms Murnane’s responsibilities changed and grew and in 1990 she took up responsibility for a new Division that brought Residential and Community Aged Care together. In 1994 she was appointed Deputy Secretary of a further expanded Department and her responsibilities included Housing, Regional Development, Local Government, Disability Services as well as Aged Care.

Her responsibilities currently are Office of Health Protection including Health Emergency; the Regulatory Policy and Governance Division with a special focus on; Therapeutics Goods Administration, Office of Gene Technology Regulator, Food Standards Australia and New Zealand, Food Policy, Medical and Biological Research Policy, National Blood Authority as well as Ageing and Aged Care and Palliative Care.

Mary also has responsibility for the policy aspect of medical and biological research. Mary Chairs the Australian Health Protection Committee which advises the Australian Health Ministers Council on emergency preparedness. The Committee also manages the emergency health component of national emergency, interfaces with other commonwealth and state emergency handling structures, and interfaces with exercises, leadership and co ordination role in national emergencies requiring a health response and is also a member of the National Blood Authority Board.