Council Membership

The Council comprises six health practitioners and two laypersons

It operates on the principle of collective responsibility. Council members may have been nominated by an organisation, but do not represent the nominating organisation at Council meetings.

Council members are paid for their time carrying out Council work.  The Council sets the payment rates. The following rates were set on 20 September 2006:

Council Meetings

Chairperson - $600 per day
Member - $500 per day

Fees for Council work other than Council meetings are:
Chairperson - $100 per hour
Member - $80 per hour

Council Members:

Jean Drage - Chairperson

Jean Drage has a PhD in political science with research interests in local government and politics. She currently has a fellowship in the Institute of Policy Studies at Victoria University. She hasa background in health and has been on several health related committees in either a consumer or a governance role.

Sharon Awatere

Ko Hikurangi te maunga Ko Waiapu te awa Ko Hinerupe te Marae Ko Horouta te waka Ko Ngatiporou te iwi, Ko Sharon Awatere ahau.  I am Sharon Awatere. My principal motivation for joining the Council is to contribute to the development of CPD training, Cultural Competency and Cultural Safety within the profession. I have experience working in London with The Immune Development Trust as Aromatherapist/Reflexologist (Dip Aromatherapy (Institute of Traditional Herbal Medicine and Aromatherapy, 1994) DipReflexology (Bayly School, UK, 1994)). Since returning to NZ in 2001, I have been working in Hawkes Bay as Osteopath/Acupuncturist (BSc (Hons) (London School of Osteopathy, 2001)) Dip Acup TCM (London Academy of Oriental Medicine, 1998), with involvement as Osteopath practitioner treating local Maori population within multi-disciplinary approaches to mental health (HB PHO funded) (SIA and IMPS (Subsidised Mental Health multi-disciplinary consultation in Primary Care)). My post graduate study has included Faculty of Health and Sport Science EIT HB in Hauora and I am presently studying towards a Masters in Health Science, majoring in Maori Health at AUT and Massey Universities.  No reira, Tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou.

Matthew Cooper

Paul Hume

Paul graduated from the South Pacific College of Natural Therapies in 1983 with a Diploma of Natural Therapeutics and commenced practice as a naturopath in South Auckland. He moved to Hamilton two years later and began a private practice. He graduated from the Osteopathic College of New Zealand in 1988 with a Diploma of Osteopathy and following further study with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology was awarded a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Osteopathy in 2001.

Stiofan Mac Suibhne

I am Irish and lived most of my adult life in London. My principal motivation for joining the Council is to contribute to the development of the osteopathic scope of practice. My first degree is in Molecular biology (Univ. London) and I worked for a number of years as a research scientist before undertaking audit training and subsequently working as a financial manager in social and healthcare organisations. I completed my osteopathic training in 2001, BSC (Hons) Osteopathy, at the London School of Osteopathy and taught for several years at both the British and London schools of osteopathy. I have undertaken postgraduate training in teaching (Post Graduate Certificate in Education (Univ. Greenwich)), Certificate in Health Promotion (Open University) and Acupuncture in Western Medical Practice (British Medical Acupuncture Society / Univ. Hertfordshire). I immigrated to New Zealand in 2005 and work in private practice in Christchurch. I am currently studying for a Master's degree in musculoskeletal medicine through the University of Otago / CHCH Medical School.

Dr Dominic O'Sullivan

Dominic is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Waikato. He has a PhD in political science and research interests in religion and politics and Maori and comparative indigenous politics. Dominic is also a Director of Caritas Aotearoa-New Zealand and lives in Hamilton with his wife and daughter.

Deepa has been practising osteopathy since arriving in New Zealand from Zimbabwe five years ago. She graduated from the British College of Naturopathy and Osteopathy (UK) in 1998 and currently works in three different clinics in Wellington. Deepa has been a peer group representative for the lower northern region for two years and her particular interest lies in preventative aspects of health.

Dennis was born and educated in New Plymouth. He studied osteopathy at the Osteopathic College of New Zealandwhile also completing Social Sciences papers, including psychology, human development, and health studies, at Massey University. He graduated with from the Osteopathic College of New Zealand with Honours, and returned as a tutor in 1992. He was President of the International Society of Osteopathic Practice Inc. from 1997 and was a member of the osteopathic liaison group to the Parliamentary Select Committee for the original Osteopaths Bill in 1994. He is a former Clinical Director at the Naturopathic College of New Zealand based in New Plymouth, and currently works in private practice.