THE state government has announced the appointment of chief executives for three of its major agencies as the focus turns to who will take the reigns at the departments set to be restructured.
THE state government has announced the appointment of chief executives for three of its major agencies as the focus turns to who will take the reigns at the departments set to be restructured.
The Department of Fisheries, the Department of Housing and Works and the Water Corporation have all announced new chief executives.
Fisheries has appointed Stuart Smith as its new CEO.
Mr Smith previously held senior positions within the Department of Industry and Resources, bringing 20 years' experience in both the state and federal public sector to the position.
Housing and Works Minister Troy Buswell announced that former Landgate chief executive Grahame Searle has been appointed director general of the department.
Mr Buswell said the appointment of Mr Searle came at a crucial time, as the government aims to improve housing affordability.
"This department, more so that many others, is in a position to make a material difference to the lives of a great many needy people in the community," Mr Buswell said.
The Water Corporation has announced that long time CEO Jim Gill will be replaced by former Telstra Business Woman of the Year Sue Murphy.
Mrs Murphy, who spent 25 years at Clough Engineering before joining the corporation four years ago, has been awarded a three-year term.
Corporation chairman Patrick O'Connor praised Dr Gill for his efforts over the last 12 years in the position, while backing Ms Murphy in the role.
"Ms Murphy has a strong engineering background and the right personal qualities to undertake this challenging role.
"She has been with the corporation for four years, most recently as general manager planning and infrastructure. In this role she was responsible for the management of a more than $1 billion a year capital program including design, construction and commissioning of all new assets," he said.
While three major appointments have been made in the last week, the government will soon have to fill several other positions following department restructuring.
It has already hived off the Public Sector Standards Commission, which will be headed by former Premier and Cabinet director general Mal Wauchope.
That leaves the way open for former Canberra bureaucrat Peter Conran to take charge at Premier and Cabinet, though a formal application process is still underway.
The government has also announced plans to spilt the Departments of Industry and Resources and Consumer and Employment Protection into three new agencies.
They will be the Department of Mines and Petroleum, Department of State Development and the Department of Commerce.
