
Kath Rowley is the new Climate Change Authority CEO. Christopher Pyne has been appointed to the National Library of Australia Council. Photos: Supplied and Wikipedia.
A breakdown of the latest appointments and moves in the Australian Public Service, the wider public sector and across the public services of the states and territories.
APS Senior Executive Service
Band 1
Susannah Stone has been promoted to national judicial registrar at the Federal Court of Australia.
Craig Maconachie is the new chief operating officer at the Australian Research Council.
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Justin Whyatt has been appointed Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Bevan Murray and Olivia Gossip are both first assistant parliamentary counsels.
Other federal appointments
Kath Rowley is the new chief executive officer of the Climate Change Authority, starting a five-year term in December.
Ms Rowley has more than 20 years’ experience as a climate policy leader, including her most recent role heading the Emissions Reduction Division of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said he was delighted to announce the appointment.
“Kath is a highly respected leader in climate policy and public administration, with a distinguished career spanning Commonwealth and state governments,” Mr Bowen said.
“This experience will be invaluable as the authority continues to guide Australia’s transition to a low-emissions future.”
Kate George will join the board of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, and Jo Evans will join the board of Marinus Link, a two-way clean-energy highway linking Victoria’s wind and solar with Tasmania’s flexible hydropower and geographically diverse wind, and owned jointly by those states and the Commonwealth.
The government has appointed former Minister for Defence and Minister for Defence Industries, Christopher Pyne, to the National Library of Australia Council for a three-year term.
Minister for the Arts Tony Burke said Mr Pyne would be a valuable addition to the board.
“From his many years in Parliament, Christopher understands the importance of having strong leadership for our national institutions for them to keep operating effectively,” Mr Burke said.
Since serving in the Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments, Mr Pyne has worked in Australian defence industries across small arms, munitions and missile development.
Shaun Angeles Penangke has been appointed to the National Cultural Heritage Committee for a three-year term.
The committee advises the government on matters of cultural heritage, including whether or not a permit should be provided for the export of items that may have cultural significance.
Mr Penangke, an Indigenous man of Arrente, Gurindji, Kungarakan and Waramunga heritage, has significant experience working with First Nations objects of importance and has worked with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
He was nominated by Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, Minister for Indigenous Affairs.
The Federal Government has also established the National Food Security Strategy, Feeding Australia, marked by the creation and appointment of the National Food Council.
The council advances an election commitment to deliver Feeding Australia, with council membership to reflect the complexity of the domestic food system.
“The National Food Council will help shape the future of food security in Australia,” Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins said.
“Feeding Australia, and the advice from our National Food Council, will enable us to find the way ahead to greater food security across our supply chains, no matter what the future brings.”
Food security, biosecurity and supply chain integrity are of vital importance to the new body, which comprises:
- Andrew Henderson — Principal, Agsecure; Senior Fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute
- Barry Irvin AM — Executive chairman of Bega Group
- David Stout — Director of Policy at the National Retail Association
- Claire McClelland — CEO of the Australian Fresh Produce Alliance
- Dr Christopher Downs — Director of the Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) at the University of Queensland
- Dr Tracy Sullivan — Independent director of Yawuru Holdings Company & Primary Partners Pty Ltd, and director of Australian Veterinary Semen Morphology
- Dr Leisa McCarthy — Deputy director of First Nations Engagement & Research Strategy at the Menzies School of Health Research
- Pat O’Shannassy — CEO of Grain Trade Australia
- Dr Elizabeth Jackson — Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management & Logistics at Curtin University, Western Australia
- Mel Gatfield — National director of food & beverages and NSW secretary of the United Workers Union
- Su McCluskey — Chair of the Crawford Fund for Food Security.
The government has also appointed five Judicial Deputy Presidents and 35 general members to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) for various terms.
Established by the government in 2024, the ART is a fully independent body responsible for reviewing decisions affecting the lives of Australians.
Justice Berna Collier, Justice Ian Jackman and Timothy McEvoy have been reappointed as Judicial Deputy Presidents for an additional two-year term.
Justice Roger Derrington and Justice Alister McNab have been appointed as new Judicial Deputy Presidents for five-year terms.
The 35 general member appointments are:
- Mr Daniel Bartlett
- Ms Sally Hunt
- Ms Troy Barty
- Mr James Larcombe
- Mr Richard Bean
- Ms Anne Lynch
- Ms Eliza Bergin
- Mrs Rebecca Maerschel
- Ms Sarah Bish
- Ms Sophia Michael
- Mrs Naomi Bryant
- Ms Morag Milton
- Ms Talitha Burson
- Mr Ali Mojtahedi
- Mrs Rachel Chrapot
- Mr John Neill
- Ms Chelsea Clark
- Mr Robert Perry
- Dr Sevda Clark
- Ms Alison Ryan
- Mr Samuel Cummings
- Dr Frances Simmons
- Ms Namoi Dougall
- Ms Charlotte Steer
- Dr Ian Freckelton AO KC
- Ms Sally Szmerling
- Ms Yvonne Grant
- Ms Angela Theodorelos
- Ms Katarina Grenfell
- Mr Richard Timpson
- Ms Ratula Gupta
- Ms Katherine Valentine
- Ms Susan Hogarth
- Ms Kate Walshe
- Ms Lesley Hunt.
Original Article published by John Murtagh on PS News.


















