Join our Consumer Advisory Committee

Wendy lives in Bamaga and is very interested in making it simple for residents to access our health services.

Wendy was diagnosed with borderline diabetes in 2015. Since then, Wendy has transformed her life with healthy eating, fitness and competitive body building.

As the mother of seven children, Wendy has many years of experience dealing with the hospital and primary health care centre in Bamaga.

Wendy is the local contact for the Northern Peninsula Area.

Wally lives on Thursday Island and has a keen interest in health, both as a consumer and as a role model in his community.

Wally works as a cultural mentor with My Pathway, and is a rugby league referee and avid sportsman.

Wally has had diabetes since 1990 and is a strong advocate for managing diabetes with exercise, sport and good nutrition.

Wally is our disability advocate and local contact for Thursday Island.

Will was on the Cairns and Hinterland Consumer Advisory Group for 6 months before moving back home to Cooktown in 2017.

He has trained in Consumer and Carer Participation, which helps members of the public to understand how they can help develop, plan, deliver and evaluate health services.

He is a great role model for how to successfully manage mental illness through lifestyle choices, treatment services and social support.

Will is the mental health representative for this group.

Ait Koedal Elder Mariana is a passionate community advocate for the Outer Islands of the Torres Strait.

By shining a light on the everyday health issues communities face, Mariana looks forward to creating positive change towards better living standards, positive health outcomes and brighter futures for local people.

From her lived experience, she understands the unique needs and aspirations of Saibai, Dauan and Boigu Islands.

As a Women's Supervisor for My Pathway, Mariana values strong partnerships between communities, councils and health care providers.

Mariana is the local contact for the Top Western Cluster islands in the Torres Strait.

Beverly lives in Pormpuraaw. She has always been interested in health, starting with her first job as a community health worker at the age of 15.

Beverly speaks 5 different Aboriginal dialects, with English being her 6th language. She is passionate about linguistics, improving language and cultural barriers and being a conjugate between the community and the Health Service.

Beverly is a compassionate advocate for her community. She's driven to work holistically with the Health Service, her community, and other service providers, to ensure positive outcomes for her community.

Beverly would like to improve health outcomes and provide feedback to the Health Service around important issues from her community.

Beverly is the local contact for Western Cape York communities.

Lucy is from Mer and the Director for the Piadram tribe. Lucy is a direct descendant from Ait and is very passionate about her culture and identity. She would like to see a brighter future for the younger generation.

Lucy is the coordinator for the Community Justice Group & Domestic Violence Champion and Vice President of Murray Island Women’s Group.

Having been both a patient and a carer, Lucy wants improved health outcomes for her community.

Lucy knows she can be a strong voice for her people by representing the Outer Islands, Eastern Cluster on the Consumer Advisory Committee. It's another journey Lucy is willing to take, hoping she can make a change for health challenges being faced by community.

Iris lives on Warraber Island which sits in the central Torres Strait Islands.

She's honoured to serve as an Indigenous voice to support the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. These include education, employment and training, social justice, leadership and governance and health.

Iris believes quality and long term health care services are needed to meet the health conditions, needs, and issues of every individual.

As a consumer and carer living in a remote community, she wants to share her experience, knowledge, and aspirations with the Consumer Advisory Committee.

Iris aims to continue to influence change and improvement across the health services, and encourage other consumers experiencing health concerns and issues to share their experiences.

Iris is the local contact for the Central Cluster islands of the Torres Strait.

Originally from Kowanyama, Marcia lives and works in Cooktown.

She has strong ties to Western Cape York and has strong personal and professional links with Cooktown and surrounding communities in Eastern Cape York.

Marcia is an advocate for people with specific health issues and would like to see more health workers, community engagement and education for preventive health care.

She's also passionate about providing home care support, including supplying ongoing health care after treatment in the home environment.

As a member of the Consumer Advisory Committee, Marcia can share her experiences, knowledge and understanding of the health services for her region. She's aiming for positive health outcomes and learning more about the challenges while contributing to positive change.

Marcia is the local contact for the Eastern Cape York communities.

Gemma has lived in Weipa since 2013 and is strongly connected to the community. As a consumer and carer, she knows how health systems work in different places across Queensland. She understands the challenges people face when living in remote and rural areas.

While living in Cape York, Gemma went through pregnancy, pregnancy loss, and had to relocate for childbirth. She would like to see more local services for expectant mothers. Gemma would also like more support for families returning to their communities with newborns. She advocates for people living in remote areas who deal with domestic and family violence.

Gemma is passionate about making sure everyone has equal access to healthcare, no matter where they live. She is eager to help improve health services and outcomes in TCHHS.

Gemma is the contact person for Weipa, Napranum, and the nearby Cape communities.