Simon Cotterell

Simon Cotterell

Simon is a strategic policy thinker, innovator and change maker. After a long career of achievement at senior leadership levels in public service in Australia, Simon established Kestrel Brook as a boutique consultancy to provide strategic advice to NGOs, businesses and governments, with a focus on improving health care.

Simon has developed unique insights into achieving change through working with government over a 34 year career. Some of the initiatives to which he made a major contribution include:

  • led the development of the National Roadmap and Centre of Excellence for Improving the Health of People with Intellectual Disability

  • delivered Australia’s Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan 2022-32

  • supported the 2022 Strengthening Medicare Taskforce

  • implemented the MyMedicare voluntary patient registration system

  • strengthened the Primary Health Networks program

  • led the rollout of the Medicare Urgent Care Clinics

  • supported Healthdirect to achieve national coverage and support the COVID response

  • led the development of the National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan

  • introduced primary care access programs for multicultural communities and for people experiencing homelessness

  • led the development and implementation of world-first tobacco plain packaging legislation

  • established the Tackling Indigenous Smoking initiative

  • led diplomatic work to finalise the WHO FCTC Guidelines on Tax and Price Policies and FCTC Protocol to Eliminate the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products

  • led the development of the National Drug Strategy 2010-2015

  • improved access to pain relief in developing countries through diplomatic efforts at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs

  • brokered negotiation of the WHO Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework

  • developed Australia’s first Health Management Plan for Pandemic Influenza 2006

  • led the primary care response to the COVID-19 pandemic including GP respiratory clinics, online IPC training, COVID-19 Disability Advisory Committee

  • introduced the World Health Assembly’s first resolution on palliative care

  • supported development of the Australians Working Together welfare reforms

  • led policy development on Work and Family initiatives including the Baby Bonus

  • brokered agreement to keep young Indonesian fishers out of adult Australian jails

Simon has university qualifications in political science and economics. He was awarded a Public Service Medal in 2012 for his work on tobacco plain packaging and Tackling Indigenous Smoking.

Simon served for nine years as the Department of Health’s LGBTQIA+ Pride Champion.

Simon is a proud resident of Queanbeyan and co-parent to two dogs, Cutie and Kevin. Bird watching and photography keep him deeply connected to regional and rural Australia and the environment.