New chief to investigate health complaints
South Australia’s new complaints commissioner for health and community services comes from a top job in Queensland.
Dr Lynne Coulson Barr OAM is South Australia’s new Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner (HCSCC).
Health Minister Chris Picton said she replaces interim commissioner Debbie Martin, who worked in the role for the past six months and would now retire.
The commission supports health consumers, carer and service providers to resolve complaints, to improve the safety and quality of health and community services, and to provide information, education and advice about rights and responsibilities.
Dr Coulson Barr was previously the Queensland Health Ombudsman since 2022.
Picton said she also brings valuable experience and insight from her role as the inaugural Mental Health Complaints Commissioner in Victoria, where she established a specialist statutory body with inclusive and accessible approaches to mental health complaints and safeguarding rights.
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Dr Coulson Barr’s career includes leadership roles in statutory complaint, oversight and regulatory bodies, and in 2020 she was honoured with a Medal of the Order of Australia for her contributions to mental health, safeguarding frameworks and dispute resolution.
“Dr Coulson Barr has earned national and international recognition for her specialist expertise in delivering accessible and inclusive complaint and review processes, and playing an important role in improving the safety and quality of services,” Picton said.
Dr Coulson Barr’s qualifications include a Doctorate of Law with research on statutory conciliation, and a Masters and Bachelor of Social Work.
She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and an accredited mediator and conciliator under the National Mediator Accreditation System.
Dr Coulson Barr OAM will begin in her new role on 18 February 2026.
