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
Sharon Alley has been made the new chief financial officer of the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) now has Kate Watson as an assistant secretary. Jordan George has been promoted to assistant secretary within Treasury.
Amelia Charlton and Maureen Greet have been promoted by the Department of Defence to SES1 at Defence Digital Group.
Band 2
The Attorney-General’s Department has taken on Paul Cronan AM as a deputy inspector-general of intelligence and security.
Other federal
Expert advisory group on climate change and health named
The Federal Government has established an expert advisory group to provide advice on reducing the impacts of climate change on Australia’s health.
The Climate and Health Expert Advisory Group will also support the implementation of Australia’s first National Health and Climate Strategy. It is a whole-of-government plan that sets out actions to reduce the health system’s contribution to climate change and build a high-quality net-zero health system.
This group is chaired by Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care Ged Kearney, but also includes:
- Chief Medical Officer and head of the Interim Australian Centre for Disease Control – Professor Paul Kelly (deputy chair)
- Chair of the Multi-College Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Health – Professor Lynne Madden
- President of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACG) – Professor Jennifer Martin
- President of the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) – Professor Tarun Weeramanthri
- Chief executive officer (CEO) of Medicines Australia – Elizabeth de Somer
- CEO of Catholic Health Australia – Jason Kara
- CEO of the Climate and Health Alliance – Michelle Isles
- Executive director of Doctors for the Environment Australia – Dr Kate Wylie
- CEO of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia – Associate Professor Steve Morris
- Centre for Sustainable Medicine director at the National University of Singapore (NUS) – Professor Nick Watts
- Interim CEO of Asthma Australia – Doris Whitmore.
Australia’s first National Health and Climate Strategy was launched at COP28 in Dubai last December by Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care Ged Kearney. Photo: Screenshot.
Deputy chair and member appointed to ACNC board
The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) Advisory Board now has Sara Harrup as a part-time deputy chair and Nick Maisey as a part-time member.
Ms Harrup’s three-year appointment was made in recognition of her contributions to the board, of which she has been a member since 1 August last year. Mr Maisey founded Befriend in 2010 to address isolation and loneliness by facilitating social connection across Western Australia.
Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury Andrew Leigh thanked outgoing deputy chair Heather Watson for her contributions to the advisory board over the past seven years, especially as chair of the ACNC’s Performance Audit and Risk Committee.
Major appointments within the RBA
The Reserve Bank of Australia has promoted Carl Schwartz and Dr Michael Plumb to head note issue and economic analysis, respectively.
In his new role, Mr Schwartz will be responsible for the department producing and issuing Australia’s banknotes, ensuring they are of high quality and the threat of counterfeiting is low.
Dr Plumb is in charge of the department’s monitoring and forecasting trends in both the domestic and international economies, advising governors and the Reserve Bank board on developments and monetary policy.
Mr Schwartz has been acting head of domestic markets since April last year. Before this, he held several senior roles across foreign reserves management, economic analysis, financial stability and payments policy, including as RBA adviser at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Dr Plumb has been in several senior roles across the RBA, most recently as head of the banking department, then as the RBA chief representative in New York, deputy head of economic analysis and deputy head of economic research.
Carl Schwartz (left) will begin his role as the RBA’s head of note issue on 30 September, while Dr Michael Plumb will be the head of economic analysis from 20 August. Photo: RBA.
Appointments to national gallery and AFTRS councils
Arts Minister Tony Burke has announced the appointments of Fiona Donovan as a member of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) Council, and Samuel Edwards to the National Gallery of Australia Council.
The AFTRS is Australia’s leading specialist education, training and research institution supporting excellence in Australian screen and audio storytelling. Ms Donovan has worked at the AFTRS in various roles over the past eight years, including as a lecturer and industry mentor.
The national gallery is dedicated to collecting, sharing and celebrating art from Australia and the world. Mr Edwards is the managing director of Edwards Constructions, but is also a previous chair of the Bundanon and Crown Lands Killalea State Park Trust Boards.
Australia and Indonesia sign Mutual Recognition Arrangement
Australia has signed its 11th Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA), with Indonesia, recognising our closest neighbour and one of the world’s fastest-growing economies as an Authorised Economic Operator (AEO).
MRAs allow customs administrations to streamline border processing of goods. When such an arrangement is made between customs administrations with equivalent AEO programs – such as Indonesia – it becomes an AEO MRA.
In 2022-23, Indonesia was Australia’s 13th-largest two-way trading partner by value ($26.2 billion) and ninth-largest export market ($15.7 billion). The Australian Border Force’s other AEO MRAs are with the customs administrations of India, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.
Australian Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram APM (left) and the Indonesian Director General of Customs and Excise, Askolani, signed the arrangement at the 23rd Customs-to-Customs Talks in Canberra. Photo: ABF.
Professor William Partlett named inaugural fellow at Centre for Public Integrity
Associate Professor William Partlett is the inaugural Stephen Charles Fellow at the Centre for Public Integrity.
Professor Partlett has previously collaborated significantly with the centre, including work on the Victorian Pandemic Management Act, which led to the government ceding control of the Integrity and Oversight Committee.
His fellowship research will explore how Australian states and territories have navigated integrity legislation, with a particular emphasis on corruption prevention. This will involve ensuring that anti-corruption commissions have the power to prevent corruption in the future by identifying vulnerabilities and recommending solutions to ongoing and systemic corruption risks.
Currently an Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne Law School, he has published three books and more than 30 academic articles, making him a leading voice in constitutional law in Australia. He is also a past fellow of the US-based Brookings Institution.
States and Territories
Richard McHugh appointed to NSW Supreme Court as Judge of Appeal
Senior barrister Richard McHugh SC has been appointed as a Judge of Appeal of the Supreme Court of NSW.
Mr McHugh has conducted many high-profile cases at first instance and on appeal, across a broad range of areas in courts around the country and in international arbitrations.
He has argued appeals in the High Court on questions as diverse as company law, defamation, financial services regulation and workers’ compensation. In recent years, Mr McHugh has specialised in complex commercial disputes.
His family has a strong tradition of service to the people of New South Wales.
His father, Michael McHugh AC KC, was a Judge of Appeal from 1984 to 1989 and a Justice of the High Court from 1989 to 2005. His mother, Jeannette McHugh, was the first woman from NSW elected to the Federal Parliament, and a minister in the Commonwealth Government from 1992 to 1996. His brother, Michael McHugh SC, is a judge of the District Court.
Richard McHugh SC will be sworn in on 20 August, replacing Justice Anthony Meagher. Photo: Banco Chambers.
New chair for Victoria’s Essential Services Commission
Consumer rights lawyer Gerard Brody has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Essential Services Commission (ESC).
The ESC’s decisions affect both households and businesses by setting prices, enforcing consumer protections, reporting on service standards and market performance, and determining rate-cap applications.
Before this appointment, Mr Brody served as chair of both Community Legal Centres Australia and the Consumers’ Federation of Australia. He has held director roles with the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman and the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.
Gerard Brody was also the CEO of the Consumer Action Law Centre, which provides independent financial counselling, legal advice and representation to vulnerable and disadvantaged Victorians. Photo: TIO.
Queensland reforms Independent Transport Authority
Queensland Premier Steven Miles has announced his plan to establish a new Independent Transport Authority, with its own board and CEO.
In his State of the State address, Premier Miles said Translink would be moved out from under the Department of Transport and Main Roads – empowering the authority to ensure scheduling, services and planning were synchronised.
The new authority will work with local governments and Queensland Rail, and set out the future of public transport planning and investment, including key routes, in the South-East Queensland region up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Housing expertise added to SA Water Board
To help SA Water deliver its portion of the state’s housing gap, two experts in the housing and development industries have been appointed to its board.
Secretary of the Urban Development Institute of Australia, Monish Bhindi, has joined as a new director, along with chief operating officer in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Tricia Blight.
This follows the completion of terms by outgoing board directors Janet Finlay and Chris Ford, who were appointed to the SA Water Board in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
The new appointees will support the South Australian Government’s $1.5 billion investment in water and sewerage infrastructure, helping to remove critical barriers in the construction of new homes. Of this, $1.2 billion will be spent over the next four years to expand the water and sewerage network to greenfield development sites in Adelaide’s metropolitan growth front.
Taskforce to fight illicit tobacco trade in South Australia
The South Australian Government has invested an additional $16 million to create a dedicated taskforce within Consumer and Business Services (CBS) to crack down on the growing illegal tobacco trade.
It comes after Minister Andrea Michaels and her Department of Consumer and Business Affairs were given responsibility for licensing and enforcement of tobacco and vapes last month.
Since then, CBS has inspected more than 130 premises across metropolitan Adelaide and carried out a series of raids in Adelaide’s north-east, seizing more than 75,000 illicit cigarettes and more than 20 kilograms of illegal tobacco products, including pouches of tobacco and shisha valued at more than $80,000.
CBS is considering enforcement options, including prosecutions and fines, as investigations into the illegal tobacco trade continue. Photo: ATO.
New members join Infrastructure WA Board
Western Australia’s Government has appointed John Galvin and Fiona Hick as new members of the Infrastructure WA (IWA) Board until 31 December, 2026.
They will replace outgoing members Terry Agnew and Kerryl Bradshaw, who were appointed to the inaugural board in 2019.
Infrastructure WA provides an advisory and assistance role to the State Government on medium- to long-term infrastructure-related matters. It provides strategic policy direction and oversight of major infrastructure proposals and investments to support better outcomes for the WA economy and community.
Currently, Mr Galvin is the chief bidding engineering and concessions officer at Clough, an alliance leadership team member at Integrate Alliance and an alternate director at the Australian Constructors Association. Ms Hick is currently a non-executive director of Evolution Mining, a member of the University of Western Australia’s Strategic Resources Committee, an associate fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, and a fellow of the Institute of Engineers.
Nicole Lockwood has been reappointed as chairperson and will continue in the role until 30 June, 2026. Jay Weatherill AO has been appointed as deputy chairperson for a term to expire on 31 December, 2027. Rebecca Tomkinson has also been reappointed for a further term as a board member until 30 June, 2026.
Open for consultation
Reforming mergers and acquisitions draft legislation
The Federal Government is calling for submissions on draft legislation reforming Australia’s merger approval system to make it faster, stronger, simpler, more targeted and transparent. The legislation will take effect at the beginning of 2026, subject to its passage through Parliament. Feedback is open until 13 August.
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.
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.
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 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 (14 August):
Food and Beverage Manufacturing in Australia – House Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources
Time: 8:40 – 9:10 am; Chamber: House; Location: Committee Room 2R2, Parliament House, Canberra, ACT.
Thursday (15 August):
Inquiry into the transition to electric vehicles – Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Time: 5 – 6 pm; Chamber: House; Location: Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra, ACT.
Friday (16 August):
Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Time: 9 am – 5 pm; Chamber: Senate; Location: Committee Room 2S1, Parliament House, Canberra, ACT.
Review of the Reserve Bank of Australia Annual Report 2023 – Standing Committee on Economics
Time: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm; Chamber: House; Location: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra, ACT.
Veterans’ Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Bill 2024 [Provisions] – Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee
Time: 9 am – 12:30 pm; Chamber: Senate; Location: Committee Room 2S3, Parliament House, Canberra, ACT.
