2025
A Bill
for
An Act to provide for the administration and operation of the
Queensland Institute of Medical Research, to repeal the
Queensland Institute of Medical Research Act 1945, and to
amend this Act and the legislation mentioned in schedule 2 for
particular purposes
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Queensland Institute of Medical Research Bill 2025
Part 1 Preliminary
The Parliament of Queensland enacts—
Part 1 Preliminary
1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the Queensland Institute of Medical
Research Act 2025.
2 Commencement
This Act commences on a day to be fixed by proclamation.
3 Act binds all persons
(1) This Act binds all persons, including the State and, as far as
the legislative power of the Parliament permits, the
Commonwealth and the other States.
(2) However, the State, the Commonwealth or another State can
not be prosecuted for an offence against this Act.
4 Definitions
The dictionary in schedule 1 defines particular words used in
this Act.
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Part 2 Queensland Institute of Medical Research
Part 2 Queensland Institute of Medical
Research
Division 1 The institute
5 The Queensland Institute of Medical Research
(1) The Queensland Institute of Medical Research established
under the repealed Queensland Institute of Medical Research
Act 1945, section 3 (the institute) is continued in existence
under this Act.
(2) The institute is established for the purpose of—
(a) initiating and conducting research into any branch of
medical science, particularly in relation to diseases of
particular significance to Queensland; and
(b) directing and using the research to improve the health
and the wellbeing of the people of Queensland.
Division 2 The council
6 The council of the institute
The Council of The Queensland Institute of Medical Research
established under the repealed Queensland Institute of
Medical Research Act 1945, section 3 (the council) is
continued in existence under this Act.
7 Legal status
(1) The council—
(a) is a body corporate; and
(b) may sue and be sued in its corporate name.
(2) The council does not represent the State.
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Part 2 Queensland Institute of Medical Research
8 Application of other Acts
The council is—
(a) a statutory body under the Financial Accountability Act
2009; and
(b) a statutory body under the Statutory Bodies Financial
Arrangements Act 1982; and
Note—
The Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982, part 2B
sets out the way that Act affects the powers of the council.
(c) a unit of public administration under the Crime and
Corruption Act 2001, section 20.
9 Functions
The council has the following functions—
(a) to manage the institute in a proper, efficient and
effective way;
(b) to raise and accept money for the institute to carry out its
purpose;
(c) to accept any gift, devise or bequest of property made
for the benefit of the institute;
(d) to help the institute carry out its purpose by investing
money—
(i) raised by, or given to, the council; or
(ii) derived from any property, or other investment,
owned or operated by the council;
(e) to exploit commercially, for the institute’s benefit, a
facility or resource owned by the council, including, for
example, study, research or knowledge, or the practical
application of study, research or knowledge, managed
by the council, whether alone or with someone else;
(f) any other function given to the council under this Act or
another Act.
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10 Powers
(1) The council has all the powers of an individual and may do
anything necessary or convenient to be done in the
performance of its functions.
(2) Also, the council has any other power given to it under this
Act or another Act.
Division 3 Membership of council
Subdivision 1 Membership
11 Council members
(1) The council consists of not more than 9 members appointed
by the Minister.
(2) The Minister may appoint a person as a council member only
if the Minister is satisfied the person—
(a) is appropriately qualified in at least 1 of the following
areas—
(i) corporate governance;
(ii) public or academic administration;
(iii) health or clinical research;
(iv) health ethics;
(v) financial management;
(vi) fund raising;
(vii) commercialisation of intellectual property;
(viii)another area the Minister considers appropriate
having regard to the institute’s purpose; and
(b) is not disqualified from being a council member under
section 17.
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(3) A council member is appointed under this Act and not the
Public Sector Act 2022.
12 Term of appointment
(1) A council member holds office for the term stated in the
member’s instrument of appointment.
(2) The stated term must not be more than 4 years.
(3) A council member may be reappointed.
(4) However, a person must not be reappointed as a council
member if the total period of the person’s appointment as a
council member would be more than 12 years.
13 Conditions of appointment
(1) A council member is to be paid the remuneration and
allowances decided by the Minister.
(2) A council member holds office on the terms and conditions,
not provided for by this Act, decided by the Minister.
14 Chairperson and deputy chairperson
(1) The Minister may appoint—
(a) a council member to be the chairperson of the council;
and
(b) another council member to be the deputy chairperson of
the council.
(2) The Minister may appoint a council member as chairperson or
deputy chairperson at the time the person is appointed as a
council member.
(3) The chairperson is responsible for managing and directing the
activities of the council to ensure the council performs its
functions and exercises its powers appropriately.
(4) The deputy chairperson must act as chairperson—
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Part 2 Queensland Institute of Medical Research
(a) during a vacancy in the office of the chairperson; and
(b) during all periods when the chairperson is absent from
duty or for another reason can not perform the functions
of the office.
(5) The chairperson and deputy chairperson hold office for the
term stated in the person’s instrument of appointment.
(6) A person may be reappointed as chairperson or deputy
chairperson.
(7) A vacancy in the office of chairperson or deputy chairperson
arises if the person holding the office—
(a) resigns from the office by signed notice given to the
Minister; or
(b) ceases to be a council member.
(8) However, a person may continue to be a council member after
resigning the office of chairperson or deputy chairperson.
15 Vacancy in office
(1) The office of a council member becomes vacant if—
(a) the member completes the member’s term of office and
is not reappointed; or
(b) the member resigns from office by signed notice given
to the Minister; or
(c) the member is removed from office under section 16; or
(d) the member becomes disqualified from continuing in the
office under section 17.
(2) However, if subsection (1)(a) applies to a council member and
another person is not appointed to the member’s office before
the member’s term of office ends, the member continues to
hold the office for a further period ending on the earliest of the
following—
(a) when another person is appointed to the office;
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Part 2 Queensland Institute of Medical Research
(b) 6 months after the member’s term of office would have
ended but for this subsection.
16 Removal of council members
(1) The Minister may remove a council member from office if the
Minister is satisfied the member—
(a) has engaged in—
(i) inappropriate or improper conduct in an official
capacity; or
Example—
a council member consents to the borrowing of an amount
that the council is not lawfully authorised to borrow under
the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982
(ii) inappropriate or improper conduct in a private
capacity that reflects seriously and adversely on
the institute or the council; or
(b) is incapable of performing the member’s functions; or
(c) has neglected the member’s functions or performed the
member’s functions incompetently; or
(d) is absent from 3 consecutive meetings of the council—
(i) without the council’s permission; and
(ii) without reasonable excuse.
(2) This section does not limit the Minister’s powers under the
Acts Interpretation Act 1954, section 25.
17 Disqualification of council members
(1) A person is disqualified from becoming or continuing as a
council member if—
(a) the person is an insolvent under administration; or
(b) the person is disqualified from managing corporations
because of the Corporations Act, part 2D.6; or
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