Queensland’s new Premier David Crisafulli has appointed a new Minister for Customer Services and Open Data after scrapping the former government’s Digital Services portfolio.
Steve Minnikin was sworn in as Minister for Customer Services and Open Data and Minister for Small and Family Business on Friday as part of Mr Crisafulli’s 19-member ministerial Cabinet.
He replaces former Labor Minister for Transport and Main Roads Bart Mellish, who had also overseen the digital services portfolio.
Before the election, Mr Minnikin was working as the shadow minister for customer service and for transport and main roads.
Mr Crisafulli said the new combination of ministries held by Mr Minnikin will “streamline government services for Queenslanders and small businesses”.
“By separating out from Transport and Main Roads, it will allow Customer Service to stretch across every arm of government and deliver Australia’s most customer service focused government,” Mr Crisafulli said.
Former manager of opposition business Andrew Powell has been appointed Minister for Science and Innovation and Minister for the Environment and Tourism.
Meanwhile, Dale Last has been appointed Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, a role that will give him responsibility for critical minerals. He has also been named Minister for Manufacturing.
The full list of 19 ministerial appointments can be found here.
Chris Hancock, the chief executive of AARNet (Australia’s Academic and Research Network), the internet service provider for education and research institutions, will retire at the end of June 2025. Mr Hancock has led AARnet since 2004, having previously held senior executive positions at Optus, Vodafone and Seven Network.
Afterpay chief executive Anthony Eisen has stepped down 10 years after co-founding the Buy Now Pay Later service. Mr Eisen reportedly told staff at parent company Block that he would be focusing on “outside pursuits”, but he remains a director at the Tech Council of Australia.
Logistics provider DB Schenker Australia and New Zealand has appointed Helen Angell as its new chief information officer. Ms Angell has been chief information officer of construction firm Coates since March 2022 and held senior IT positions at Lion Energy, Boral and AMP before that.
The Western Australian government has commenced its search to replace the state’s chief scientist Professor Peter Klinken. Professor Klinken was first appointed in 2014 and will finish in the role in June 2025.
After six years, Australia’s inaugural Astronomer-at-Large Professor Fred Watson has left the Department of Industry, Science and Resources to take on a new role in the university sector. He provided expert advice and was a public advocate and communicator for science.
Staying with the Industry department, Matthew Morrissey has been appointed general manager for program delivery, while Kym Moore has been permanently appointed general manager for mining.
Financial intelligence agency AusTrac has appointed a new general manager for data, who will will double as its chief data and analytics officer. The name of the appointee has been withheld.
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has promoted Branko Ananijevski to assistant secretary for cabinet information and governance.
New South Wales’ scientist of the year 2024 is UNSW Scientia Professor Helen Christensen, an international expert in digital mental health research. She previously served as executive director of the Black Dog Institute, a renowned mental health research organisation, for more than a decade.
Australia’s inaugural ambassador for cyber and critical technologies Tobias Feakin has joined the public affairs advisory board of California-based cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks. Since leaving the ambassador role Mr Feakin founded Protostar Strategy to work as a consultant.
The Australian Research has appointed 123 new members to its College of Experts for 2025, who help assess grants among other things. The total number of members is now 376.
The Western Australian government has also appointed seven members to a new expert medical research committee to advise the overseers of the Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund and the Health department.
Professor Fiona Wood, who sits on the FHRI Fund advisory council will also sit on the new committee to ensure the groups are aligned.
Western Australia also named its Innovators of the Year this week, with the Emerging and Growth categories being won by seaweed-based plastics alternative company Uluu and computer vision AgriTech company Deimos Laboratory.
Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.