Services Australia has extended the term of its interim independent advisory board by up to six months, with all members receiving contract extensions to the end of September.
Former NSW minister Victor Dominello, Tech Policy Design Centre lead Professor Johanna Weaver, and Former Human Rights Commissioner Professor Edward Santow are among the nine committee members.
Initially contracted until June 2024, the interim board received a three-month extension last month and, according to a spokesperson, have the option for a further three-month extension.
The federal Budget includes funding for a permanent independent advisory board to run to the end of June 2028.
When Government Services minister Bill Shorten announced the interim board, he said the members would bring insights across fields like “governance, service delivery ethics, use of technology in digital service delivery and advocacy for both customers and service delivery staff”.
Australia’s next auditor-general will be Dr Caralee McLiesh, who will lead the Australian National Audit Office for a decade from November 4, 2024. Dr McLeish has been the secretary and chief executive of the New Zealand Treasury since 2019.
Deputy auditor-general Rona Mellor has been acting in the top job since Grant Hehir resigned in February.
Over the years, the ANAO has uncovered a slew of failures with major government tech projects, with the Accenture-built myClearance security vetting system the most recent example.
As previously reported, Jordan Hatch has moved to Services Australia. It has since been confirmed that he will be general manager for Customer and Staff Digital Programs.
The Queensland Department of Energy and Climate Change has welcomed Mark Stone as its new executive director for hydrogen and future fuels. Mr Stone moves from the federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources, where he oversaw delivery of the Future Gas Strategy.
Suthagar Seevaratnam, the inaugural chief information security officer of the Australian National University, is now chief information security officer for telecommunications company Vocus.
The former chief executive of hydrogen developer Ark Energy Daniel Kim has been appointed Canadian Amp Energy’s president for Australia. Mr Kim is also director of the Australia-Korea Business Council.
John Hulin has been made a senior adviser to shadow climate change and energy minister Ted O’Brien. Mr Hulin was previously a media adviser to former Digital Economy minister Senator Jane Hume and former Energy minister Angus Taylor.
Treasury is being advised by Andrea Gomes da Silva on draft legislation for reforms to Australia’s merger law regime. Ms Gomes da Silva is a competition lawyer and previously worked at the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority.
The Business Council of Australia has appointed Mike Bareja as director of digital, cyber, AI, and future industries. Mr Bareja moves from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute where he was deputy director for cyber, technology, and security.
The chief executive of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Australia April Palmerlee has been made the chair of AmChams of Asia Pacific.
Two new appointments have been made to the board of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). They are Alinga Energy Consulting founding director Ruby Heard and consultant Dean Travers who previously spent more than 20 years at utility company Engie.
Meanwhile, Justin Punch has been reappointed as ARENA’s chair for a third term and Elizabeth O’Leary has had her term renewed.
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