The Water Cooler: Comings, goings, hearings and consultations

A breakdown of the latest appointments, public hearings and open consultations in the Australian Public Service and across the public services of the states and territories.

APS Senior Executive Service

Band 1

The Department of Defence has made Katherine Thatcher an SES 1.

Kate Anderson has been promoted to senior assistant ombudsman at the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has appointed Sam Hamilton as deputy chief veterinary officer and Christopher Ipkendanz as an assistant secretary.

Other federal

New Australian Signals Directorate boss appointed

Abigail Bradshaw is the new Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), promoted from the deputy’s role to replace Rachel Noble, who has left the top job after almost five years.

Ms Bradshaw has served as Deputy Director-General of ASD and head of ASD’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) since March 2020.

The ACSC is the Australian Government’s technical authority on cyber security. It provides an avenue for organisations large and small to partner with the government and adopt a security framework to protect their information technology and operational technology systems, applications and data from cyber threats.

Appointment of Independent Administrator to CFMEU

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has appointed lawyer Mark Irving KC as the administrator of the Construction and General Division of the CFMEU.

His appointment came with the order to place all branches of the CFMEU Division into administration following revelations that organised crime had infiltrated the Victorian branch of the country-wide union.

Mr Irving has been a barrister since 1997 and was appointed senior counsel in 2017. He specialises in employment, industrial and anti-discrimination law.

The Melbourne-based silk has extensive experience in acting against those who have engaged in corrupt conduct within unions and within employer organisations.

Independent review of the NAIF begins

The Federal Government has announced the start of an independent review into the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Act 2016 (NAIF).

NAIF is a development financier that provides financial assistance to infrastructure projects in northern Australia to drive public benefit and economic and population growth, as well as materially improve the lives of First Nations people.

Northern Australia Minister Madeleine King has appointed former Member for Lingiari Warren Snowdon to lead the review. Mr Snowdon will be supported by a panel comprising Professor Peter Yu from Western Australia and Dr Lisa Caffery from Queensland.

The panel will conduct the review over the next five months, undertaking targeted stakeholder consultation across the north.

The review is a requirement under the act and will make recommendations to government, including on how to best continue to support investment that delivers economic and community benefits to northern Australia.

New director appointed to Bundanon Trust Board

Navleen Prasad has been appointed director of the Bundanon Trust Board for a three-year term.

Bundanon Trust is an Australian cultural institution and living arts centre that supports the arts through its residency, education, exhibition and performance programs.

The Bundanon collection and properties were gifted in trust to the Commonwealth in 1993 by renowned Australian artist Arthur Boyd and his wife, Yvonne.

Ms Prasad is chief executive officer of the Australian Investment Council and a director on the board of the Sydney Youth Orchestras. In 2022, she was appointed as a member of the Investor Roundtable by Treasurer Jim Chalmers, to identify and unlock investment opportunities in national priority areas.

Nature Repair Committee established

The Federal Government has announced the appointment of the Nature Repair Committee, which comprises:

• Stephen McCutcheon (chair)
• Dr James Fitzsimons
• Brendan Foran
• Tyronne Garstone
• Fiona Simson
• Siobhan Toohill.

The committee provides independent, expert advice to Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek on agriculture, biological or ecological science, economics, environmental markets, Indigenous knowledge and land management.

Its responsibilities include: advising the minister on the development and prioritisation of methods and biodiversity assessment instruments; assessing compliance of methods with biodiversity integrity standards; and undertaking reviews and public consultation on key elements of the Nature Repair Market scheme.

Chief Scientist to lead expert methane reporting panel

The Federal Government has appointed Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM to lead an expert panel as part of its broader efforts to ensure the ongoing reporting for methane and other greenhouse gases is accurate and transparent.

Recently the Commonwealth released its response to the recommendations of the 2023 review of the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) scheme conducted by the independent Climate Change Authority (CCA). This review had a particular focus on the integrity of methane measurement following a written request by the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen last year.

The CCA made 25 recommendations for the NGER scheme, of which the Commonwealth agreed in full or in principle to adopt 24 and noted one.

One of the recommendations was to establish an expert panel to advise the Commonwealth on the potential role atmospheric measurement approaches could play in further enhancing Australia’s fossil methane emissions estimation.

Independent reviews of critical shipping legislation underway

The Federal Government has appointed Lynelle Briggs and Professor Nicholas Gaskell to co-chair the reviews of the Shipping Registration Act 1981 and Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Act 2012.

A commitment was made to review both acts as part of the government’s response to the Strategic Fleet Taskforce report, ensuring they reflect modern regulatory best practice for shipping registration and coastal trading.

Ms Briggs has strong review, maritime and transport experience, most recently leading the review of public sector board appointments in 2023 and as the Royal Commissioner on Aged Care Quality and Safety.

Professor Gaskell is a maritime lawyer with extensive experience in international shipping practice and in analysing merchant shipping legislation for governments, industry and practitioners.

Their report to the government on the acts is due in six months.

Kaylene Dale takes the helm at AMSA

The Federal Government has welcomed Kaylene Dale as the new CEO of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), replacing Mick Kinley on 1 October.

As Australia’s national regulatory body, AMSA promotes the safety and protection of the marine environment and combat ship-sourced pollution. It provides the infrastructure for safety of navigation in Australian waters, and maintains a national search-and-rescue service for the maritime and aviation sectors.

Ms Dale has worked with AMSA’s search-and-rescue functions as part of her role at the Australian Border Force, where she has held a number of leadership positions – most recently as the Deputy Commissioner for strategy and capability.

States and Territories

Key board appointments made in NSW Government

Niall Blair has been appointed as a director at Sydney Water.

His appointment continues a long career in the NSW public service, including as Minister for Primary Industries, Trade, and Industry and Regional Water.

Mr Blair is charged with helping Sydney Water manage the demand for new infrastructure to support housing while meeting the need to keep water bills low during a cost-of-living crisis.

Ashley Mason has been appointed as chair of Landcom, bringing extensive operations experience across a range of Tier 1 construction companies and in government.

Mr Mason will be joined on the Landcom board by Craig Knowles AM, a former Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning, Health, Infrastructure, and Natural Resources.

Mr Mason and Mr Knowles will support the $800 million expansion of Landcom and its focus on developing key worker housing and build-to-rent projects.

The Shareholder Ministers intend to appoint Kris Neill, former chair of Women’s Community Shelters, former Macquarie Group executive director and former chief of staff to Premier Bob Carr, to the Port Authority of NSW Board. Ms Neill was also interim chief of staff to Minister Courtney Houssos.

Ms Neill’s extensive governance expertise will help the Port Authority maximise opportunities presented by the Freight Reform Policy Program and the delivery of NSW infrastructure projects.

Inaugural Cross-Border Commissioner appointed in Queensland

Queensland police officer and union president Ian Leavers has been appointed as the inaugural Cross-Border Commissioner.

More than 750,000 people live in the 12 local government areas along the borders that Queensland shares with NSW, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

The complexities of living and working in multiple jurisdictions include different approaches to regulation and essential service delivery, which can be difficult to navigate for communities and add to the cost and ease of doing business in border areas.

The Commissioner will develop relationships with local governments, regional bodies, state agencies, industry associations and community groups, and provide advice to stakeholders and government, through the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water.

A priority focus for the Commissioner will be building disaster management capacity and resilience for Queensland communities on the Queensland-NSW border.

First woman appointed as permanent Queensland Crown Solicitor

Experienced solicitor and senior legal executive Cecelia Christensen has been announced as Queensland’s new Crown Solicitor.

The Crown Solicitor heads up the Crown Law Office. The position acts as the solicitor for the State of Queensland with responsibilities to provide legal advice to the Attorney-General, especially in relation to the Attorney’s role as the First Law Officer.

As a member of the executive leadership team of the Crime and Corruption Commission, Ms Christensen is a respected member of the legal profession and will bring more than 27 years of legal and corporate experience to the role.

Forensic Science Queensland Advisory Council appointed

An 11-member advisory council, chaired by highly respected former District Court Judge Julie Dick SC, has been appointed to monitor and review the delivery of high-quality forensic services in Queensland.

The council, which will provide advice directly to the Attorney-General, was a recommendation of the 2022 Commission of Inquiry into DNA Testing in Queensland and was established under the Forensic Science Queensland Act 2024.

It makes Queensland the first Australian state to have a dedicated statutory framework governing the provision of forensic services.

The council will be responsible for monitoring and reviewing policies and procedures of Forensic Science Queensland (FSQ) that relate to the administration of criminal justice.

Ms Dick will serve as chair of the advisory council for three years. She served for more than two decades as a sitting judge of the District Court of Queensland until her retirement in June 2022.

The advisory council includes representatives from the Queensland Police Service, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and Legal Aid Queensland. These appointments initially are:

• Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd, Operations Support Command, Queensland Police Service
• Philip McCarthy KC, deputy director, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
• Kerry Bichel, director, Criminal Law Services, Legal Aid Queensland.

Legislation also requires the council to include at least one victims’ advocate, one expert in forensic service delivery, and one member of the private legal profession. These appointments are:

• Catherine Crawford, coordinator, The Women’s Centre, Townsville (victims’ advocate)
• Christopher Porter, director of forensic services, Metropolitan Police Service, United Kingdom (forensic service delivery expert)
• Patrick Quinn, solicitor in private legal practice (practising lawyer).

The remaining four members must be qualified and experienced in forensic services, law, policing, victim support, or another relevant field approved by the Attorney-General. These members are:

• Adjunct Professor Alastair Ross, lecturer, Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University and foundation director of the National institute of Forensic Science (expert in forensic science)
• Chief Inspector David Neville, DNA management, Queensland Police Service (expert in policing)
• Rhea Mohenoa, director of client services (recovery and healing), DVConnect (expert in supporting victims of crime)
• Associate Professor Catherine McDougall, Chief Medical Officer, Queensland Health (other field – oversight of forensic medical examinations).

Two deputy directors and District Court judges appointed in Queensland

Queensland’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has been bolstered by the appointments of two eminent Deputy Directors – Gregory Cummings and Caroline Marco.

Mr Cummings has been appointed to a newly created position for two years, which will have a particular focus on cases requiring the testing or retesting of forensic DNA evidence following the 2023 Commission of Inquiry (COI).

Active cases before the court are currently being prioritised, as well as matters no longer before the courts but for which DNA results may have been called into question by the COI recommendations.

Ms Marco has been appointed as Deputy Director for a five-year term. In recent years, she has prosecuted some of Queensland’s most high-profile cases and served in the role on an acting basis.

Two senior Queensland legal figures have also been appointed as judges of the District Court of Queensland: Southport-based Magistrate Dzenita Balic and current Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Philip McCarthy KC.

Mr McCarthy was first called to the bar in 1997 and was appointed as the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions with the ODPP in 2021.

Originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Magistrate Balic arrived in Australia as a refugee and was welcomed to the Magistrates Court Bench in 2022.

Former long-time member returns to WA State Administrative Tribunal

Attorney-General John Quigley has announced the appointment of Timothy Carey as a full-time ordinary member of the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT).

Mr Carey was previously an inaugural full-time member of the tribunal when it was formed in January 2005 and spent 15 years in the role until the end of 2019.

Admitted to practice in Victoria in 1982 and in Western Australia in 1991, he served as a lawyer and senior lawyer with the Australian Government Solicitor (AGS) for 11 years until late 2004.

Mr Carey has been appointed for five years starting in September 2024.

New chief executive appointed for Landgate WA

Trish Scully is the new chief executive of Landgate for a five-year term starting on 2 September.

Bruce Roberts has been acting in the position since early 2024 following the retirement of former chief executive Graeme Gammie.

Landgate is the Western Australian Land Information Authority, a statutory authority responsible for the state’s land titles register, provision of property valuation services to government, and maintenance and delivery of authoritative location information.

Ms Scully has nearly 30 years of experience in auditing, finance, strategy, project and general management and is currently the general manager location services at Landgate.

More recently, she was responsible for securing a 10-year commitment for Spatial WA to deliver an Advanced Spatial Digital Twin to the state.

Aboriginal Advisory Council of Western Australia refreshed

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Tony Buti has announced the appointment of nine new members to the Aboriginal Advisory Council of Western Australia.

The council is established under Section 18 of the Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority Act 1972 and advises the Western Australian Government on matters relating to interests and the wellbeing of Aboriginal people.

The council has welcomed:

• Jenny Bedford
• Rebecca Blurton
• Joslyn Eades-Tass
• Anthony Hansen
• Maureen Kelly OAM
• Michael Ogilvie
• Damien Parriman 
• Rani Randall
• Irene Stainton AO.

Two current members have been reappointed, Gail Beck OAM and Martin Sibosado. These appointed members will join current members Rowena Leslie and Preston Thomas, totalling 13 people on the refreshed council.

Official launch of TasVOCAL

Attorney-General Guy Barnett has officially launched a new legal service named Tasmanian Victim Survivors of Child Abuse Legal (TasVOCAL).

Funded by the Tasmanian Government, it was a recommendation made by the commission of inquiry into institutional cases of child sexual abuse.

It will provide free legal advice for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse in Tasmania to access the National Redress Scheme, compensation and other support services, including:

• Civil litigation
• Police contacts
• Therapeutic options.

Open for consultation

Future of Government service delivery

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is inviting feedback from across the Australian community in its new survey set to inform its long-term Insights Briefing. Participation in the survey to align government service delivery with the needs of Australians will remain open until 1 September.

Truth and Justice Commission Bill

The Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs is seeking submissions to its parliamentary inquiry into the Truth and Justice Commission Bill 2024, introduced by Yamatji-Noongar Senator Dorinda Cox.

The bill proposes to establish a Federal Truth and Justice Commission, which would provide a national framework for truth-telling about the history and impacts of colonisation, dispossession and systemic racism on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The commission would also make recommendations on how to advance justice, healing, raise awareness and increase public understanding, and reconciliation for First Nations communities and the wider Australian society.

Submissions are welcome until 6 September.

Draft Sustainable Ocean Plan

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is developing a Sustainable Ocean Plan for Australia. Its goal is to support the government as it meets the increasingly complex challenges facing the ocean and economy that relies on it from now into the future. Consultation closes on 13 September.

NACC surveys public sector on corruption issues

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is calling on Commonwealth public sector staff to participate in Australia’s first Commonwealth Integrity Survey, which is open until 20 September.

The online survey asks Commonwealth public sector employees about 30 questions that focus on their knowledge, experiences and perceptions of integrity and corruption issues in their agencies.

The survey fills a gap in the Commonwealth public sector integrity landscape. Data exists on experiences of fraud and corruption by agencies, but the Commonwealth Integrity Survey focuses on the experiences and perceptions of staff members. This combined data will provide a more accurate picture of unreported corruption as well as integrity risks.

Template CLG constitution for ACNC

The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) is reviewing its template constitution for public companies limited by guarantee, or CLGs. It aims to provide charities that are CLGs with a document that they can adapt for their own use when developing or modifying their constitution. Responses to the short survey will remain open until 23 September.

Maugean skate listing assessment

The Threatened Species Scientific Committee is seeking comments on the assessment of Zearaja maugeana (Maugean skate). Public consultation will be open until 26 September.

National Safety and Quality Medical Imaging Standards

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care is undertaking a consultation on the National Safety and Quality Medical Imaging (NSQMI) Standards. These standards will replace the Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme Standards. Stage 1 of consultation is open until 27 September, with Stage 2 starting in October.

Gorgon gas development: Backfill fields offshore project proposal

Chevron Australia Pty Ltd is the operator of the Gorgon gas development, one of Australia’s largest natural gas projects, located off the northwest coast of Western Australia. A backfill field is a supply of natural gas that is required to maintain the throughput to an operating facility.

The intent of this backfill development is to maintain gas supply to the existing gas plants on Barrow Island to sustain current production rates of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and domestic gas. Public comment on the proposal is open until 1 November.

For information on all the state and territory government projects open for consultation, follow the links below:

• New South Wales
• Queensland
• Victoria
• South Australia
• Western Australia
• Tasmania
• Northern Territory
• Australian Capital Territory

Federal Parliament Public Hearings

Wednesday (28 August):

Inquiry into the importance of Antarctica to Australia’s national interests – Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories

Time: 11 am – 3:15 pm; Chamber: Joint; Location: Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra, ACT.

Impact and mitigation of aircraft noise – Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee

Time: 9 am – 2 pm; Chamber: Senate; Location: Wapping Room, The Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel, 1 Macquarie Street, Hobart, TAS.

Thursday (29 August):

Review of Australia’s four major banks – Standing Committee on Economics

Time: 9:15 am – 5 pm; Chamber: House; Location: Main Committee Room, Parliament House, Canberra, ACT.

Friday (30 August):

Review of Australia’s four major banks – Standing Committee on Economics

Time: 9:15 am – 5 pm; Chamber: House; Location: Main Committee Room, Parliament House, Canberra, ACT.