The government has announced the appointment of NZ Treasury boss Caralee McLeish as Australia’s new Auditor General.

Dr McLiesh’s ten year term with the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) begins on November 4.

She’ll replace Rona Mellor, who’s been acting in the role since the departure of Grant Hehir in February.

Dr McLiesh is a senior public service leader with more than 25 years’ experience across government, international, not-for-profit and commercial sectors.

She has served as the Secretary and Chief Executive of the New Zealand Treasury since 2019, and previously was Managing Director of TAFE NSW and a Deputy Secretary with the NSW Treasury.

Her involvement in developing Australia’s first Social Impact Bond for families at risk earned her a Public Service Medal in 2017for outstanding public service to social impact investment policy and reform in NSW.

Prior to this Dr McLeish worked at the World Bank in Washington DC, the International Red Cross and the Boston Consulting Group.

Announcement the appointment last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese thanked her predecessor Grant Hehir for his service in the state and federal public service, as well as Ms Mellor for filling the role since then.