Darling Downs Health Board Chair Mike Horan announces retirement

Darling Downs Health chairman Mike Horan is set to retire with the Health Minister yet to announce his successor.

Darling Downs Health Board Chair Mike Horan announces his retirement at Baillie Henderson Hospital on Monday, March 11, 2024. Picture: Christine Schindler

From a dairy farmer to 21 years in state politics, Mike Horan announced his retirement as Darling Down Health board chair on Monday.

Standing in the Baillie Henderson Hospital grounds Mr Horan said he felt Darling Downs Health was in a great position and that after 12 years, his time had come.

“I really think it’s been a great privilege and honour for me to have this position for 12 years and to serve the towns and communities of our region,” he said.

“With regards to infrastructure, I’m quite proud of what we’ve been able to achieve over the 12 years with major projects like the magnificent new Kingaroy Hospital and the new Toowoomba Hospital which is commencing at the moment.”

He also mentioned the smaller services that had become available to the rural community, staff accommodation at Miles, new maternity suites at Stanthorpe Hospital and the teleoncology service now available at Warwick, Dalby and Kingaroy.

Mr Horan has had a varied career and before he entered politics played professional rugby, was a dairy farmer in Gympie and worked as the general manager of the Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland.

He entered Queensland politics as National Party MP for Toowoomba South in 1991 and served for 21 years across numerous ministerial portfolios, including health, and held a number of leadership positions within the National and Liberal National Party.

In June 2013 he received an Order of Australia for his years of service in Queensland parliament and the Darling Downs community.

He took the role as board chair in 2012 and paid homage to the “huge 12 years of change” the health services have been through with an increase of about 8 per cent year on year and a budget from $560m in 2012 to around $1.3bn this year, not to mention the three years of navigating a global pandemic.

He said the vision of Darling Downs Health for Toowoomba was to be the regional health capital of Australia with the construction of the new hospital at Baillie Henderson.

In terms of who would be stepping up into the position of chair, he said the Queensland Minister of Health would make an announcement later this month.