With the coalition remaining in power the dust of the March election is starting to settle and re-elected Premier Mike Baird is getting down to business. At the beginning of April the Premier announced a series of future changes that will change the shape of NSW government departments.
Amongst the announced changes, the Department of Trade and Investment is to be replaced with the newly created Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development. These changes mean the secretary of NSW Trade and Investment, Mark Paterson AO, is set to lose his job.
Mr Paterson is renowned as being an outstanding member of the public service and was awarded as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2007. He was appointed to the position in 2011 with the then deputy premier Andrew Stoner announcing him as the new man “selling NSW to the world.”
Despite his impending departure, NSW Premier Mike Baird has assured the public that Mr Paterson will remain at the department to assist with the transition before “departing to pursue new challenges.”
Following the departure of Mr Paterson, the leadership position of the new department will fall to Simon Smith who will become the Secretary of the Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development. Mr Smith comes from the Office of Finance and Services, where he has held the position of chief executive officer since 2014.
Along with the changes to the Department of Trade and Investment, other leadership changes are imminent with the Secretary of the NSW Treasury, Phil Gaetjens, announcing that he will be leaving his current position in June after the 2015-2016 budget has been handed down. Mr Gaetjens has held the position since 2011 and is leaving his current position so he can move to Canberra to be with his family.
The positions of Secretary of the NSW Treasury, Secretary of the Department of Transport and Secretary of the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation are still yet to be filled.
As well as major leadership changes that will occur, there are also some machinery of government changes that will occur amongst the various NSW government departments. Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority is being moved from the Department of Planning and Environment to the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation. The Department of Police and Emergency Services will become a part of the Department of Justice and the Office of Veteran’s Affairs, which was previously a part of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, will now be moved to the Department of Justice.
The recent changes will also see the reinstatement of the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation as a standalone department. This is essentially just a reversal of the decision in April 2014 to merge department with The Treasury.
Some name changes are also planned to occur. What was formerly known as the Department of Family and Community Services will now just be known as the Department of Communities and the Department of Education and Communities will become the Department of Education.
Throughout the transition period A-ZGovBiz will keep a close eye on any changes that occur to ensure our data reflects these changes as they happen.
