A breakdown of the latest appointments in the Australian Public Service and across the public services of the states and territories.
APS Senior Executive Service
Band 1
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has made Branko Ananijevski its assistant secretary for governance.
Meanwhile, the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) has made Matthew Morrissey the general manager of program delivery and Kym Moore the general manager of mining.
Megan Cooper, Santo De Pasquale, Isaac Buckley and Emma Jaber have been promoted as the Director of Public Prosecutions’ four new assistant directors.
Band 2
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs has promoted Alexander Caroly to first assistant secretary.
Other federal
Jeffrey Pope named Acting Australian Electoral Commissioner
Special Minister of State Don Farrell has announced the appointment of Jeffrey Pope APM GAICD as the acting Electoral Commissioner from 15 December.
In this role, he will oversee the work of the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), which ensures the conduct of federal elections are in line with the law.
Mr Pope has been the AEC’s Deputy Electoral Commissioner and chief operating officer since 2016. In these roles, he made significant contributions to the delivery of recent federal elections and the 2023 referendum.
Jeffrey Pope (pictured) will replace current Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers, who has served an 11-year term in the role. Photo: AEC.
Sam Reinhardt appointed Parliamentary Budget Officer
The Presiding Officers have announced Sam Reinhardt as the new Parliamentary Budget Officer, taking over from Dr Stein Helgeby, who held the role for the past four years.
Ms Reinhardt is the current Deputy Secretary of the Fiscal Group at Treasury. However, she is mostly recognised as an accomplished economist and leader who has served in the Productivity Commission and DISR.
She has also served as the government representative on the Foreign Investment Review Board and was a member of the secretariat for the Henry Tax Review.
Ms Reinhardt has worked for the Cape York Institute, Papua New Guinea’s Treasury and as a tax and fiscal policy adviser to former Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Sam Reinhardt has worked for the Cape York Institute, Papua New Guinea’s Treasury and as a tax and fiscal policy adviser to former Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Photo: BSGIP.
States and Territories
Professor Helen Christensen AO named NSW Scientist of the Year
Scientia Professor Helen Christensen AO from UNSW Sydney and the Black Dog Institute is being recognised as the NSW Scientist of the Year in the 2024 Premier’s Prizes for Science & Engineering.
In 2000, Professor Christensen developed the digital intervention program MoodGYM to reduce depression in young people. It has been used by millions of people across more than 160 countries.
She served as the executive director and chief scientist at the Black Dog Institute from 2011 to 2021, while her work creating a model of suicide prevention has been incorporated into national and state suicide prevention plans.
Professor Helen Christensen was among 10 people honoured at the NSW Premier’s Prizes for Science & Engineering. Photo: Tourism Australia.
New members join NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority
The NSW Government has made appointments to the board of the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA), including a deputy chairperson and two new members.
ILGA is a statutory decision-maker responsible for a range of liquor, registered club, and gaming machine regulatory functions including determining licensing and disciplinary matters.
Associate Professor Amelia Thorpe and Nicholas Nichles have been appointed for four-year terms.
Professor Thorpe is with the Faculty of Law and Justice at UNSW and an Acting Commissioner of the NSW Land and Environment Court. Mr Nichles was previously a Consul General and Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner for Australian Government agency Austrade, based in the US.
Existing member Chris Honey has also been made deputy chairperson until the end of his current term in early 2027.
The appointments follow the end of the term of appointment for outgoing deputy chairperson Sarah Dinning, and also fill board vacancies.
Griffith LHAC chair named 2024 NSW Health Volunteer of the Year
Griffith Local Health Advisory Committee (LHAC) chair Margaret King has taken home the title of NSW Health Volunteer of the Year, becoming the third Murrumbidgee-based LHAC chair to win in the past three years.
Chair of the Griffith Local Health Advisory Committee Margaret King was named the Volunteer of the Year at the 2024 NSW Health Awards. Photo: Supplied.
Justice Michael Ball appointed to NSW Court of Appeal, three barristers to be District Court judges
Experienced lawyer, Justice Michael Ball, has been appointed to be a judge of the Court of Appeal, part of the Supreme Court of NSW.
Before being appointed to the Supreme Court in 2010, he spent most of his career working in Sydney as a solicitor with international commercial law firm Allen Allen & Hemsley/Allens Arthur Robinson.
Since 2014, Justice Ball has sat in the Commercial and Technology and Construction Lists. He became the List Judge for those lists and the Commercial Arbitration List in 2022.
In other legal news, three barristers have been appointed as judges of the NSW District Court: Guy Newton SC, David Scully SC and Thomas Jones.
Mr Newton is currently a Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor, representing the state in complex and high-profile cases.
Mr Scully has been a barrister since 2011 and has predominantly appeared in complex jury trials, including several years as a Crown Prosecutor, then Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor, prosecuting numerous murders and other serious crimes.
Mr Jones has been a barrister since 2006, specialising in criminal law, common law, coronial inquests and other commissions of inquiry.
Victoria names first Chief Addiction Medicine Adviser
The Victorian Government has appointed Dr Paul MacCartney as its first Chief Addiction Medicine Adviser.
The Chief Addiction Medicine Adviser will be the State Government’s principal adviser on issues related to addiction, drug use and harm reduction. He will help guide the development of Victoria’s first Alcohol and Other Drugs strategy to address drug harms over the long term.
With a 25-year career as a general practitioner and a specialist in addiction medicine, Dr MacCartney has worked across community, clinical and primary care settings in metro and regional Victoria.
Dr Paul MacCartney will provide expert advice to ensure Victoria is well prepared to respond to threats such as Nitazenes – helping to reduce overdose and other harms. Photo: CoHealth.
Criminal law specialist appointed WA District Court judge
Attorney-General John Quigley has announced the appointment of Seamus Rafferty SC as a judge of the District Court of Western Australia.
Mr Rafferty has over two decades’ experience as a trial advocate and as appeal counsel in the criminal law jurisdiction.
Between February 2023 and joining the District Court, Mr Rafferty was an independent barrister at Geoffrey Miller Chambers, appearing as counsel in numerous criminal proceedings. He has regularly appeared on behalf of the state, previously serving as a State Prosecutor at WA’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions from 2002 to 2009.
Seamus Rafferty was sworn in by WA Governor John Dawson. Photo: WA Government House.
New members welcomed to WA Volunteering Community Reference Group
Volunteering Minister Don Punch has welcomed new members to the Volunteering Community Reference Group.
The group is a voice for the sector and provides updates to the WA Government on emerging trends, issues and feedback on the implementation of its Volunteering Strategy.
Craig Spencer OAM from St John Ambulance has been appointed as the group’s chair and Dr Megan Paull from Murdoch University the deputy chair.
Volunteering Community Reference Group members are appointed for up to two years.
The group has also farewelled departing members Meredith Blais, Dan Minchin, Esme Bowen, Maija Hildebrand and Sue Fielding.
Tasmania appoints Department of Health Secretary
Dale Webster PSM has been appointed as the Secretary of the Tasmanian Department of Health for a five-year term.
His career has spanned multiple senior roles within the state service, mostly within the Department of Justice and Department of Health, where he has served as Deputy Secretary, executive director and Acting Secretary.
Dale Webster has been Acting Secretary of Tasmania’s Health Department since April. Photo: LinkedIn.
Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner bids farewell
The Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Sarah Bolt, will conclude her time in the role from 19 November.
The Office of the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner aims to foster a society free of discrimination, prejudice, bias and prohibited conduct by administering the Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 (Tas).
Ms Bolt was appointed to the role for the second time in January 2017. However, she has also been South Australia’s Police Ombudsman, where she implemented a streamlined complaint-handling process and forged a collaborative relationship between government employees and members of the wider community.
Expressions of interest will shortly be invited from suitably qualified persons interested in appointment as the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner.
New Tasmania Police commander appointed
Tasmania Police Commissioner Donna Adams has announced the appointment of Marco Ghedini to the rank of Commander of Police.
Commander Ghedini has risen through the ranks since joining Tasmania Police 22 years ago and is now in charge of leading the Northern District.
He was most recently the inspector in charge of the Bridgewater Division, where he also led the emergency response to the recent Derwent Valley floods. Commander Ghedini has also held roles as mental health and multicultural liaison officer for Tasmania Police over several years.
Born to immigrant parents, Commander Marco Ghedini is fluent in Italian and has demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting local communities. Photo: @tas.police.
