About

The Commissioner for Resources Safety and Health is an independent advisor to the government and is appointed by the Governor in Council under the Resources Safety and Health Queensland Act 2020.

• Strategic plan
• Publications

Role of the Commissioner

The Commissioner's main functions are to:

• advise the Minister for Resources on matters relating to safety and health in the resources sector
• respond to requests by the Minister for advice on particular matters
• fulfil the roles of chair of the Coal Mining Safety and Health Advisory Committee and the Mining Safety and Health Advisory Committee
• engage with representatives of the explosives sector and petroleum and gas sector about promoting and protecting the safety and health of people who may be affected by the operation of those sectors
• monitor, review and report to the Minister on the performance of the regulator.

The Commissioner

The current Commissioner is Kate du Preez. Kate has almost 30 years of experience in the mining industry across Africa and Australia, including working in underground coal mines and in management positions.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering and was the first woman in South Africa to hold a mine manager’s certificate of competency in coal mining.

As chair of the Coal Mining Safety and Health Advisory Committee and the Mining Safety and Health Advisory Committee, Kate has played an instrumental role in driving deeper tripartite collaboration and cooperation in the development of safety and health solutions in the mining industry.

As a miner herself, Kate is passionate about the resources industry and is a strong advocate for resources safety and health issues. She is committed to improving the safety culture by encouraging stronger reporting behaviours and by improving psychological safety at resources industry workplaces.