Australian Council on Children and the Media

Board of Directors

The ACCM Board contains one representative of each state of Australia and two representatives from its corporate membership. There are ten Board members in all, plus an appointed Secretary and Treasurer.

The current officers of the Board are:

Position Member
President Elizabeth Handsley
Vice-President Amelia Joyce
Secretary Anne Anastasiou
Treasurer Helen Shaw

Current Board members are:

State Member Background information
South Australia Elizabeth Handsley BA, LLB, LLM, Professor of Law, Flinders University, a specialist in media law as it applies to children.
Western Australia Leon Straker John Curtin Distinguished Professor, School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, WA
New South Wales Michelle Cabena Representing NSW Parents Council
Queensland Michael Nagel PhD, Associate Professor, School of Science in Education at the University of the Sunshine Coast,  teaching and researching in the areas of cognition, behaviour and learning, and human development and early learning
Victoria Harriet Hiscock MD, FRACP, Associate Professor, University of Melbourne, Director of the Royal Children’s Hospital Health Services Research Unit
Tasmania Phillip Spratt President, Australian Council of State School Organisations Ltd.
Australian Capital Territory Michael Nuttall Executive Officer of the Australian Primary Principals Association, overseeing the operations of the Canberra-based national office and representing the association in various national forums.
Northern Territory Donna Odegaard PhD, CEO Larrakia TV, Professional background in Aboriginal affairs and heritage, Indigenous education, training and employment
Corporate representatives Member Background information
Early Childhood Australia (ECA) Amelia Joyce With a social work and education background, Amelia is an advocate for social justice, wellbeing, storytelling and all things creative. She is also a Master of Digital Media graduate intrigued and inspired by how digital media can help us communicate, connect, and continue to learn and understand more about ourselves, each other and the world.
Australian Education Union (AEU) Leah Mertens Diploma of Teaching Arts/Humanities. Taught English and French in primary and secondary schools in Queensland.Now Research Officer Professional Issues, at the Queensland Teachers Union.

Honorary CEO, Australian Council on Children and the Media: Barbara Biggins, OAM