Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy has been reappointed on another five-year term as his department prepares to deliver the Future Made in Australia agenda.
Mr Kennedy was originally appointed Treasury secretary in September 2019 after two years as secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development.
He has served in the Australian Public Service for more than 30 years during which he has also served as deputy secretary at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Department of the Environment, and Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.
Announcing the reappointment on Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described Mr Kennedy as “one of the country’s most experienced public servants and his diligence and dedication represents the best traditions of the Treasury”.
Mr Kennedy has been reappointed to the head of Treasury as the government prepares to table the Future Made in Australia Act. The Act will incorporate billions of dollars’ worth of manufacturing support programs, including production tax credits for hydrogen and critical minerals processing.
It will also legislate the Treasury-designed National Interest Test which will assess potential investments under two streams. The first stream focuses on supporting potentially globally competitive industries in the transition to a net-zero economy, while the second focuses on supply chain security.
Monash University’s new head to its department of mechanical and aerospace engineering is Professor Mahmoud Mostafavi. In a statement, Professor Mostafavi praised the department’s “great reputation for research in several areas including fluid mechanics and robotics”.
Professor Mostafavi moves to the Melbourne university from Bristol University, where he holds a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Structural Integrity at the school of electrical, electronic and mechanical engineering.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) board has been refreshed, with the addition of a new board member and a change in deputy chair. Existing CASA board member Elizabeth Hallett has moved into the deputy chair position while former Qantas head of technical services Adrian Verkerk joins the board.
CASA’s aviation safety advisory panel will also see a change in its chair. Andrew Andersen will replace incumbent Pat Murray who steps down after seven years in the role.
Mr Andersen has been the chair of the federal government’s General Aviation Advisory Network since 2019. He is also the International Council of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associations’ president for the Pacific Region and the co-chair of the Australian Strategic Air Traffic Management Group’s Satellite-based Augmentations Systems sub-group.
Last week it was announced that two new associate members would join the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. These are Adam Suckling, who is a member of the Australian Communications and Media Authority, and Dr John Small who is chair of the New Zealand Commerce Commission.
Mr Suckling will serve in the part time role until July 24, 2028 whereas Dr Small will do so until June 7, 2025.
Charles Popple, a commissioner at the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC), will leave the Australian government energy policy advisor on June 10. Before joining the AEMC in February 2018, Mr Popple had held management roles at SP AusNet, SPI PowerNet, VENCorp, and the Victorian Power Exchange.
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