Greg Martin leaving DPI for research post

The Director General of the Department for Planning and Infrastructure, Greg Martin, will be leaving his current post to become Executive Director of the Planning and Transport Research Centre in September.
PATREC was established in 2003 as a collaboration between WA's four public universities, with support from the State Government.
It is chaired by Stuart Hicks, who has previously served as chairman and chief executive of Transperth and Director General of the Department of Transport.

An announcement from PATREC is pasted below:

Greg Martin to head Planning and Transport Research Centre

The new Executive Director of Western Australia's Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC) will be Mr Greg Martin, currently Director General of the Department for Planning and Infrastructure (DPI). He will take up the position in September 2007.
Mr Martin will succeed inaugural Executive Director, Professor Fred Affleck, who will leave PATREC to take up an appointment at Curtin University of Technology as Professor and Director of Research Management Systems.
In making this announcement today, Chairman of the PATREC Board, Mr Stuart Hicks, said: "We are delighted that Greg Martin has accepted the Board's invitation to take up this important role after he retires from his role at the top of WA's lead agency for planning and transport."
"He brings many years of experience in these fields to PATREC, which is helping to build a new generation of research and planning capability in the State".
Greg Martin has served in his current role heading up Planning and Infrastructure since 2002. Previously he was WA's Commissioner of Main Roads.
The Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC) began operation in 2003.
PATREC is a collaboration between Western Australia's four public universities,
supported by the State Government.
Mr Martin will be appointed Professor in the Chair of Planning and Transport Studies at Curtin University of Technology.
On behalf of the four collaborating universities supporting PATREC, Curtin Vice-
Chancellor, Prof Jeanette Hacket, has welcomed the appointment.
"Greg is eminently qualified for his new role in the university arena", she said. "He will bring a wealth of contacts in industry and government across Australia, which will help PATREC to expand its current web of relationships with the community. As a member of the PATREC Board of Directors since its inception, he understands well the role of PATREC and its collaborative way of performing its unique task".
Stuart Hicks praised Professor Affleck's contribution to PATREC.
"Professor Affleck has been very effective in establishing PATREC as a strong resource for this State. Under his leadership PATREC has developed a strong program of research in many areas of importance and has gained recognition in Australia and overseas. He has also been responsible for inaugurating PATREC's unique 'Master of Transport Studies' degree, offered collaboratively by WA's four public universities. After only two years this program is attracting a growing number of high quality students and will shortly 'go international'," Stuart Hicks said.
"There is a shortage of men and women with suitable qualifications and experience available to fill key planning and research positions in industry and government. Rapid growth, salary competition and the retirement of many in the 'baby boomer' generation have left us with shrinking capability in areas of expertise needed to plan our State's future. PATREC's postgraduate education program, backed with a rapidly growing body of research to support policy development in key areas, is helping to fill this growing gap."