Infrastructure Canberra Director-General Gillian Geraghty is leaving the ACT public service. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
A second ACT Government directorate will have to find a new leader, with Infrastructure Canberra director-general Gillian Geraghty announcing her resignation on Friday (2 October).
She informed employees that she’ll leave the ACT Public Service and the directorate in early December.
“In a message to employees, Ms Geraghty reflected on her time with the organisation, expressed her gratitude for the commitment and contribution of staff, and said she looked forward to thanking colleagues personally over the coming weeks before her departure,” an ACT Government statement read.
Ms Geraghty was appointed Director-General of Major Projects Canberra in September 2023. The organisation was later expanded and was renamed to Infrastructure Canberra in November 2024.
In February 2024, Ms Geraghty was also appointed ACT Chief Engineer by Engineers Australia in addition to her role as Director-General.
During her tenure, Ms Geraghty oversaw delivery of major ACT Government infrastructure projects including the CIT Woden Campus, Yurauna Centre, Woden Youth Foyer, Woden Interchange and the Canberra Hospital Expansion.
Acting Head of Service Russ Campbell paid tribute to Ms Geraghty’s contribution to the ACT Public Service, acknowledging her leadership of Infrastructure Canberra and her role as ACT Chief Engineer.
“[She has] overseen the delivery of major infrastructure projects across education, housing, transport and health, and had helped strengthen the Territory’s approach to infrastructure planning and delivery, engineering assurance, procurement, workforce capability and stewardship of the government estate,” the ACT Government statement read.
Opposition Leader Mark Parton questioned the timing of the announcement, hot off the heels of Head of Service Kathy Leigh’s announcement she’ll also retire earlier this week and the Health and Community Services Directorate opening a voluntary redundancy program.
“This has been another week of chaos, dysfunction and crisis for the ACT Labor Government,” he said.
“This is what happens when a government has been in power for almost 25 years and loses its focus on basic accountability, financial discipline and good administration. The senior leadership are walking out, public servants are being asked to accept redundancies, and taxpayers are being asked to foot the bill for years of poor decision-making.
“Canberrans deserve a government that is in control and puts them first, not one constantly managing the consequences of its own dysfunction.”
Ms Geraghty’s final day will be 4 December.
Original Article published by Claire Fenwicke on Region Canberra.
