In other appointments:

• First NSW chief school behaviour advisor appointed

Former Deputy Army Chief Major-General Jake Ellwood will head Queensland’s leading disaster recovery and resilience agency.

Major-General Ellwood’s appointment as CEO of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) follows his work as State Recovery Coordinator, where he spearheaded recovery from last year’s South East Queensland floods.

He was also national coordinator for the Australian Defence Force’s response to the Black Summer bushfires in 2019-20 and has served in Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and East Timor.

Major-General Ellwood replaces former QRA CEO Brendon Moon who took on the role of co-ordinator general of the National Emergency Management Agency late last year.

Minister responsible for the QRA Steven Miles said Major General Ellwood had proven himself to be a disaster recovery asset.

“His appointment to the role of CEO will ensure QRA continues to support Queenslanders following disasters through recovery, reconstruction and resilience works and funding,”  Mr Miles said in a statement.

“Jake’s success in the role of State Recovery Coordinator and his long and distinguished career in the Australian Army makes him the ideal candidate to lead the QRA.”

The (QRA) was the first resilience and recovery body of its kind in Australia and has responded to more than 100 disasters since it was established more than ten years ago.

It was set up in response to the 2010-11 Queensland floods and Tropical Cyclone Yasi and became a permanent part of the state government in June 2015. 

NSW schools get first Chief Behaviour Advisor

NSW has appointed its first Chief Behaviour Advisor, who will lead improvements in student behaviour across the school sectors. 

Professor Donna Cross is a leader in the field of children’s mental health with decades of experience in education, public health and research, who has worked with governments at a state, local and international level.

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell welcomed the appointment, describing it as a critical step in ensuring a consistent, evidence-led approach to improving student behaviour in NSW schools. 

“Her appointment as a specialist advisor on student behaviour is a proactive and necessary step in addressing existing, as well as new and emerging, issues in our schools,” Ms Mitchell said.

“These are complex issues that school and broader communities are dealing with, and while we need a whole-of-community approach, school can be a starting place to support engaged and healthy young people.” 

Professor Cross will report to the Minister for Education’s School Advisory Council.

She takes up the role on March 27 for an initial period of two-years.