New South Wales’ new Information Commissioner and chief executive of the Information and Privacy Commission is Rachel McCallum, who moves over from her role at the NSW Electoral Commission.
Ms McCallum, who will take up her three-year term on Monday, replaces Elizabeth Tydd who officially became the federal government’s new Freedom of Information Commissioner earlier this month. She has also been appointed as the chief executive of the Information and Privacy Commission.
She brings with her around 30 years’ worth of legal experience, including most recently as the general counsel and executive director for disclosure and compliance at the NSW Electoral Commission.
Ms McCallum has also previously served as deputy general counsel at Transport for NSW and in the state’s Department for Premier and Cabinet.
NSW Attorney General Michael Daley and Digital and Customer Service minister Jihad Dib welcomed Ms McCallum’s appointment.
Ms McCallum said it is a privilege to be appointed, described her new role as critical to the integrity of public administration in New South Wales.
“Information access and privacy issues are central to the fair and effective adoption of new technologies to deliver public services,” Ms McCallum said.
The federal government’s new National Cyber Security Coordinator is Lieutenant General Michelle McGuiness, Home Affairs and Cybersecurity minister Clare O’Neil announced on Sunday.
Ms McGuiness was previously deputy director for Commonwealth integration in the United States Defense Intelligence Agency, a role she has held since January 2021. She has also served in the Australian Defence Force for 30 years.
Ms McGuiness replaces Air Vice-Marshall Darren Goldie, who was recalled to Defence in November to “deal with a workplace matter related to his time in Defence”, according to Defence. Department of Home Affairs deputy secretary of cyber and infrastructure security group Hamish Hansford has been acting in the role in the months since.
Australia’s chief defence scientist Professor Tanya Monro has concluded her service on the CSIRO board of directors. Professor Monro served in the role for eight years.
Central Queensland University has appointed Paul Hodgson as the director of its centre for hydrogen and renewable energies. He is currently the chair of the Queensland Manufacturing Institute and was formerly the interim chief executive of the bid to establish a Scaling Green Hydrogen Cooperative Research Centre.
Squadron Energy, a subsidiary of the Andrew and Nicola Forrest owned Tattarang investment company, has appointed a new chief executive, Rob Wheals. Mr Wheals has 25 years working in critical infrastructure industries and was formerly the chief executive of natural gas and electricity infrastructure firm APA Group.
Mr Wheals replaces incumbent chief executive Jason Willoughby, who will become chair of Squadron Energy. Mr Willoughby joined CWP Renewables Squadron as chief financial officer in 2018. Prior to this he served as a managing director at General Electric in Sydney.
The iLaunch University Trailblazer, led by the University of Southern Queensland, has appointed Dr Matt Richardson to its newly created director of Space Education Programs role.
Over the last decade, Dr Richardson has worked in aerospace and defence industries locally and in Japan. He moves to the trailblazer from the Australian Space Agency where he was an assistant director for space transportation.
At the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, the new general manager of Industrial Net Zero Transformation branch is Leah Wojcik, who moves from Treasury.
Update: March 4, 2024
A previous version of this story incorrectly said Rachel McCallum had been appointed NSW Information and Privacy Commissioner. She has been appointed Information Commissioner
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