Our role is to ensure that:
We have been operating in the challenging environment of managing food safety risk since 2000. Collectively, we have hundreds of years of experience in dealing first hand with the business of food, the people, the processes and products and how these elements fit together to make food safe.
Find out more about regulation in Queensland.
Our funding
Safe Food funding comes from two sources: a shared funding agreement with the Queensland Government and charges for accreditations and other services.
Safe Food has a range of powers under the Food Production (Safety) Act 2000 that include:
It ensures the effectiveness of planning processes and governance practices and the integrity of reporting systems. It is also responsible for ensuring the organisation operates according to sound financial management strategies and practices.
The Board maintains an overview of the administration and policies of the organisation but it has no direct management responsibility nor does it play a regulatory role.
The Board has a specific role to:
Mrs Best currently serves as Chair of the Queensland Heritage Council, Chair of the Audit Committee of the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, a member of the Audit and Risk Committee for the Electoral Commission of Queensland and a member of the State Award Committee for the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme.
Mrs Best has more than 36 years of executive leadership experience in Queensland in areas ranging from education, indigenous policy and programs, multicultural affairs, environmental management, community engagement and natural resource management.
She has previously held positions of Director-General, Deputy Director-General, Assistant Director-General, Regional Director, and secondary principal. She is also a former Board member and Trustee of QSuper.
Ms Sutherland is a senior executive who works with major auto manufacturers, banks, universities, travel companies and insurance companies in Australia to negotiate and provide assistance services for their customers in their times of need. She has extensive experience in leading large financial services teams, including store networks, financial planning, business banking, agribusiness banking, migrant banking and business partners across Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
Lynne joined the Board of Safe Food in July 2019 as a Non-Executive Director. She has previous directorships and board governance experience with Suncorp and ANZ NZ subsidiary Boards. She has completed the AICD’s Company Directors Course, holds a Bachelor of Horticulture Science, a Graduate Diploma in Management and has completed the INSEAD Advanced Management Program.
Mrs Homer has a strong background in primary production and manages the operations of a grazing property in Central Queensland. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Science in Medical Microbiology from the University of Queensland. She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has been named in the Top 100 Women in Agribusiness.
Ms Dwyer is the Executive Director of the Health Protection Branch in Queensland Health. The Branch is responsible for health risk assessment and regulation in environmental health (including food safety, poisons, radiation safety and water and general risks to public health). Her career has covered a wide range of public health responsibilities, including the management of local public health units and Queensland Health’s health promotion programs and was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2008. She has a Bachelor of Environmental Science (Hons), a Bachelor of Social Work, a Graduate Diploma in Management and a Masters of Public Health.
As Deputy Director-General, Agriculture, Mr Letts leads the development of policies, research and interventions that deliver an efficient, innovative, productive and successful agricultural sector. Mr Letts has extensive experience in agricultural policy and industry development, having been instrumental in designing and delivering extension and frontline service components of major restructures in the dairy and sugar industries. Most recently, he was Executive Director, Regions and Industry Development. For five years he was also responsible for the trade and investment area of the food and agribusiness industries. Mr Letts has worked with the Queensland Government for 23 years. He has a particular interest in supply chain improvement, and in modernising extension and broader service delivery to better meet the needs of food and agribusiness companies.