David Turvey (left) has been appointed CEO of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission. Charlotte Keefe has been promoted to Assistant Secretary in the DEWR. Andrew McNicol has been appointed Assistant Secretary Technology Operations in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Photos: LinkedIn.
A breakdown of the latest appointments and moves in the Australian Public Service, the public services of the states and territories, and the wider public sector.
APS Senior Executive Service
Band 1
Peter Edwards has been promoted to Chief General Counsel in Defence Housing Australia.
Nathan Price has been appointed Chief Information Officer in the Federal Court of Australia. Jane Sandry has been promoted to Branch Head — People and Payroll in the Federal Court of Australia.
Andrew McNicol has been appointed Assistant Secretary Technology Operations in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Charlotte Keefe has been promoted to Assistant Secretary in the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR).
Melinda Coen has been promoted to Branch Head, Assistant Director — National Collections at the Australian War Memorial.
Band 2
Debbie Arnold has been appointed First Assistant Secretary, Ministerial, Engagement & Communications in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Band 3
David Turvey has been appointed CEO of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission.
Other federal appointments
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the appointment of Simon Draper as the new Secretary of the Department of Industry, Science and Resources from 6 October for a five-year term, to succeed acting Secretary Julia Pickworth. Mr Draper is the current Secretary of the New South Wales Premier’s Department and also served as CEO of the NSW Reconstruction Authority, CEO of Infrastructure NSW, and Secretary of the NSW Department of Industry.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has announced Justice Melissa Perry has been appointed president of the Defence Force Discipline Appeal Tribunal, and Justice John Halley has been appointed deputy president, effective 6 August.
Professor Mark Rose has been appointed First Nations Commissioner of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC) for a five-year term from 17 August. Professor Rose has held senior executive and academic leadership positions across universities and government, including as deputy vice-chancellor (Indigenous Strategy and Innovation) at Deakin University.
Kate Pope was appointed acting Inspector-General of Aged Care on 1 August following the departure of Natalie Siegel-Brown. Ms Pope will serve as Acting Inspector-General as the process to appoint a permanent Inspector-General continues.
Minister for the Arts Tony Burke has announced the appointment of Dr Vanessa Russ to the Australian National Maritime Museum Council, Pat Farmer to the Australian National Maritime Museum Council, and Simonetta Astolfi to the Council of the National Gallery of Australia, all for three-year terms.
The US Senate has confirmed the appointment of David Brat as the US’s next Ambassador to Australia. Mr Brat was nominated by US President Donald Trump in April, and will take up the post nearly two years after former Ambassador Caroline Kennedy left the role in November 2024.
(From left) Dr Vanessa Russ has been appointed to the Australian National Maritime Museum Council. Simon Draper will leave his role as Secretary of the NSW Premier’s Department on 4 September to become the new Secretary of the Federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources from 6 October. Professor Mark Rose has been appointed First Nations Commissioner of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission. Photos: University of Melbourne, NSW Reconstruction Authority, UNSW.
States and territories
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has announced that the Secretary of the former Department of State Growth, Craig Limkin, has resigned.
Tasmanian Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Corrections and Rehabilitation Guy Barnett has announced the appointment of Paul Slattery KC as a full-time Acting Judge of the Supreme Court of Tasmania. Justice Slattery has previously served as Acting Justice of the Supreme Court of the ACT, Judge of the District Court of South Australia, and Auxiliary Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia.
The NSW Government has appointed Commissioner Tony Howell as deputy president (non-judicial) of the Industrial Relations Commission of NSW, effective 10 August.
NSW Premier’s Department Secretary Simon Draper will leave the role on 4 September to become Secretary of the Federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources from 6 October. Premier Chris Minns said NSW Treasury Secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter would serve as Acting Secretary of the Premier’s Department until April 2027, while Liz Livingstone would serve as Acting Treasury Secretary.
NSW Deputy Police Commissioner Scott Cook has been appointed Deputy Commissioner, Corporate Services.
The Queensland Government has announced the appointment of Public Sector Commissioner David Mackie as Director-General of the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning for a five-year term from 17 August, with Chris Lamont to act as Public Sector Commissioner.
Queensland Corrective Services Commissioner Paul Stewart has announced his retirement, with Deputy Commissioner Jon Peach appointed to act as Commissioner.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has announced that Justice Thomas Bradley will be the 28th Governor of Queensland. Justice Bradley was elevated to the Court of Appeal in March 2025 after serving as a Supreme Court judge since 2018. He will be sworn in as Governor on 1 November.
Western Australian Attorney-General Dr Tony Buti has announced three new judicial appointments. Justice Stephen Lemonis has been appointed as a judge of the Court of Appeal of Western Australia, Judge Tania Jeyamohan as a judge of the WA Supreme Court, and barrister Steven Wong SC as a judge of the WA Supreme Court.
New Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has unveiled a parliamentary reshuffle. Anthony Carbines will become the new Minister for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy as well as the new Minister for Major Events, Medical Research, and Economic Development, while remaining Minister for Racing and the Leader of the House.
Deputy Premier Gabrielle Williams will become the new Minister for Education, Women and Gender Equality, Skills and Training and First Peoples.
Colin Brooks will become the new Treasurer and Minister for Industrial Relations.
Steve Dimopoulos will become the new Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC, Equality, and will remain the Minister for Sport.
Paul Edbrooke will become the new Minister for Police, Emergency Services, Crime Prevention, and Minister for Multicultural Affairs.
Enver Erdogan will become the new Minister for Finance and Minister for Government Services, and will remain the Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation.
Paul Hamer will become the new Minister for Roads and Road Safety.
Melissa Horne will become the new Minister for Jobs, Industry and Advanced Manufacturing, Defence Industry, and will remain the Minister for Ports and Freight.
Sonya Kilkenny will become the new Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, and will remain Attorney-General and the Minister for Planning.
Tim Richardson will become the new Minister for Local Government, Consumer Affairs and Renters.
Michaela Settle will become the new Minister for Water and the Minister for Rural and Regional Development, and will remain the Minister for Agriculture.
Ros Spence will become the new Minister for Youth Justice, Corrections, and Victims Support, and will remain the Minister for Community Sport.
Nick Staikos will become the new Minister for Housing, Building and Precincts, Homelessness and Seniors.
Ingrid Stitt will become the new Minister for Health, Mental Health, and Ambulance Services, and will remain the Special Minister of State.
Natalie Suleyman will become the new Minister for Trade and Tourism and Investment, and will remain the Minister for Small and Family Business, and Minister for Veterans.
Jaclyn Symes will become the new Minister for Energy and Resources, the State Electricity Commission, Climate Action, and Environment, and will remain the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council.
Vicki Ward will become the Minister for Public Transport and will remain the Minister for Creative Industries.
Nina Taylor will become the Cabinet Secretary.
Mr Carroll has also named a new line-up of Parliamentary Secretaries. They are: Ryan Batchelor as Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Services, Josh Bull as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer and Parliamentary Secretary for Roads, Anthony Cianflone as Parliamentary Secretary for Community Safety, Christine Couzens as Parliamentary Secretary for First Peoples, and Ella George as Parliamentary Secretary for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.
Other new Parliamentary Secretaries include Katie Hall as Parliamentary Secretary for Housing and Homelessness and Parliamentary Secretary for Creative Industries, Bronwyn Halfpenny as Parliamentary Secretary for State Electricity Commission, Martha Haylett as Parliamentary Secretary for Rural and Regional Development, Mat Hilakari as Parliamentary Secretary for Education, and Nathan Lambert as Parliamentary Secretary for Children and Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Action.
Pauline Richards has been appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Kat Theophanous as Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier, Iwan Walters as Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary for Disability, Sheena Watt as Parliamentary Secretary for Public Transport and Parliamentary Secretary for Community Sport, and Dylan Wight as Parliamentary Secretary for Jobs and Industrial Relations and Parliamentary Secretary for Racing and Major Events.
