The Radiation Safety Act 2016 (the Act) came in force in March 2017 to establish a framework to protect the health and safety of people and protect the environment from the harmful effects of ionising radiation while allowing for the safe and beneficial use of ionising radiation. The Act also enables New Zealand to meet its international obligations relating to radiation protection, radiation safety and security, and nuclear non-proliferation.
The Council is an advisory group established under section 80 of the Radiation Safety Act 2016 (the Act).
On this page:
Role
Expert advice and recommendations
The general function of the Council is to provide advice to the Director, the Minister of Health or the Director General on matters and standards relating to radiation safety. Another function of the Council is to make recommendations to:
- the Minister on the exercise of the Minister’s powers under this Act
- the Director on the adoption of recommendations, policies, codes of practice, and standards relating to radiation safety
- the Director in respect of authorisations referred to it by the Director.
RSAC members
Members of the RSAC are appointed by the Minister of Health. The Act requires the Council to consist of at least 2 members who have appropriate knowledge, expertise, or interest in the following areas and 1 lay member:
- radiation and nuclear safety
- the use of radiation and radiation sources.
The Director General and the Director cannot be members of the Council.
On 11 September 2023, the Minister of Health reappointed the following members to the Council for terms of office ending on 10 March 2026:
Brian Lunt (Chairperson) has worked in diverse roles as a medical physicist in radiology, cardiology, ophthalmology, urology, and as a technology consultant in the public and private NZ healthcare sectors. He has governance experience as the Chair of the New Zealand branch of the Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine and as a member of the International Accreditation New Zealand (National) Radiology Professional Advisory Committee. His qualifications include a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees.
Lois Hutchison (Deputy chairperson) is the former Chief Executive of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission based in Wellington. Lois has 30 years’ experience in senior executive roles across the state sector. Lois holds Master’s degrees in public policy (Victoria University of Wellington) and managing organisational performance (Cranfield University, UK). Lois was made a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety (Hon.) in 2019.
On 11 September 2023, the Minister of Health appointed the following members to the Council for terms of office ending on 10 September 2026:
Dr Casey Davies has worked in the tertiary research sector within Aotearoa New Zealand for the past 10 years as a radiation safety officer and hazardous substances specialist. Casey is currently the health, safety and compliance specialist for Faculty of Science | Te Kaupeka Pūtaiao at the University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha and is working with a number of governing bodies to develop improvements in laboratory health, safety and compliance. He has a PhD in biophysical chemistry and a postgraduate diploma in health sciences and is a professional member of the New Zealand Institute of Safety Management and the Health and Safety Association of New Zealand.
Dr Iain Ward is a radiation oncologist who has practised in Christchurch for 20 years in both the public and private sectors. He has an interest in promoting quality in radiation therapy and in systems that enable clinicians to learn from radiation incidents and near-miss events. He is a Fellow of both The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists and The Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
Lynne Greig has over 20 years’ experience as a chief medical physicist and radiation safety officer in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australian hospitals. She is an examiner for the Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine and has been a member of state and national radiation oncology advisory groups. Her qualifications include bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and she is a registered radiation oncology medical physicist.
Dr Pooja Yadav is an experienced radiation chemist with a demonstrated history of working in the tertiary education sector. She has over 17 years of experience in radiation research at various international universities. She did her PhD in radiation chemistry and, through fellowship work, she gained knowledge of relevant International Atomic Energy Agency safety standards and fundamentals. Her primary area of expertise is pulse radiolysis using linear accelerators, electron spin resonance and Raman spectrometry. Pooja is currently working as radiation safety advisor at the University of Auckland and holds an honorary academic position with the university’s School of Chemical Sciences.
Sally McMillan is a practising medical imaging technologist in Central Otago and has 40 years of clinical experience. She has significant experience at the managerial level in radiation safety and was the radiation safety officer at Te Whatu Ora – Waikato for a number of years, also serving as a member of their Radiation Safety Committee (expert advisory group). Sally is fluent with the ORS Code of Practice for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, ORS C1.
Terms of reference
- Radiation Safety Advisory Council Terms of Reference (Word, 42 KB)
- Radiation Safety Advisory Council Terms of Reference (PDF, 98 KB)
Annual reports to the Minister of Health
The RSAC delivers to the Minister a report setting out its advice on the above matters at least once each year. It is the role of the Minister to present a copy of the annual report provided by the Council to the House of Representatives.
Annual report 2021
- Radiation Safety Advisory Council Annual Report 2021 (Word, 54 KB)
- Radiation Safety Advisory Council Annual Report 2021 (PDF, 212 KB)
Annual report 2022
- Radiation Safety Advisory Council Annual Report 2022 (Word, 73 KB)
- Radiation Safety Advisory Council Annual Report 2022 (PDF, 255 KB)
Contact the Secretariat
The RSAC is administered by the Office of Radiation Safety of the Ministry of Health.
The Secretariat’s contact details are:
RSAC Secretariat
c/o Office of Radiation Safety
Ministry of Health
PO Box 5013
Wellington
[email protected]