In other appointments

• Lithgow councillor elected ALGWANSW president
• NGA, Sport Australia appointments spark criticism
• Princess Bitchface author on children’s TV council
• Labor to consider Dairy Commissioner

First female top cop for Queensland

Katarina Carroll has become the first woman to head Queensland’s police force following an international search.

The current Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner will take on her new role as Police Commissioner in July.

Commissioner Carrol is Queensland’s 20th Police Commissioner and the first woman to fill the role in the service’s 159-year history.

She has also played key roles in national and international groups including the Australia and New Zealand Counter Terrorism Committee for Command.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford praised Commissioner Carrol’s efforts in response to recent national disasters.

“In the past few months alone, the Commissioner has led us through catastrophic bushfires, three cyclones, a severe monsoon trough and its subsequent flooding and the widespread devastation that followed it across the western and northern regions of the state,” Mr Crawford said.

Commissioner Carroll replaces Commissioner Ian Stewart who retires in July.

Cassandra Coleman elected ALGWANSW president

Councillor Cassandra Coleman from Lithgow City Council has been elected president of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association NSW Branch.

Cr Coleman, who was elected at the ALGWANSW Annual Conference held in Lithgow from April 4-6, says she will use the role to showcase Lithgow and the region to women from all over the state.

Her first initiative since being elected was convening the inaugural meeting of Council’s Women’s Advisory Committee which discussed issues including skills building, connected community, empowerment and service delivery.

The committee will have an advocacy role and be able to provide advice and raise issues that matter to women at the council and state level, Cr Coleman said.

ALGWA has encouraged women to join local government since its formation in 1951 when there were only 54 women elected. Today NSW is the most successful state in terms of numbers of women in local councils.

NGA Council appointment sparks criticism

Former Australian High Commissioner to the UK and federal arts Minister Richard Alston has landed a role on the Council of the National Gallery of Australia.

His is one of a number of recent government appointments before the May 18 election involving former coalition MPs, sparking criticism from the opposition which has threatened to dump them if elected.

The government has also appointed Michael Gannon,Terri Janke and artist Professor Sally Smart for three year terms on the Council.

Hugh Delahunty to sit on Sport Australia board

Hugh Delahunty, a former local and state politician and AFL player, will continue to make a contribution to the national sports scene with his appointment to the board of Sport Australia.

He takes up the position from 4 May 2019 for a three-year term despite criticism about political appointments from Labor.

Sports Minister Bridget McKenzie said Mr Delahunty would bring a fresh perspective to Sport Australia, the statutory agency responsible for distributing funds tasked with delivering the government’s National Sport Plan.

The former Horsham Mayor was elected to the Victorian State Parliament for the Nationals in 1999 and served as Minister for Sport and Recreation and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs.

He played for Essendon in the 1970s and has had long grass-roots connection with sport.

He replaces board member Danielle Roche whose term has expired.

Children’s TV gig for high profile psychologist

High profile family psychologist and parenting commentator Dr Michael Carr-Gregg has been appointed as a Commonwealth representative on the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) Board for a three year term.

Dr Carr-Gregg is a child and adolescent psychologist who has published 14 books on parenting, including The Princess Bitchface Syndrome: Surviving Adolescent Girls, and has taken a lead in anti-bullying campaigns.

Also appointed to the board is Aura Film Finance managing director Ian Booth and former ScreenWest CEO Ian Booth, who has been an executive producer on films Ningaloo: Australia’s Other Great Reef.

Former sports bureaucrat appointed to censorship board

Sally Ryan, the former Manager of Corporate Planning and Performance at the NSW Office of Sport, will  serve as Deputy Director of the Classification Board for two years.

The independent statutory body is responsible for the classification and censorship of films, computer games and some publications.

Rachel Merton, previously Head of Government Relations for KPMG, joins the board as a member for three years.

New appointment to ART Board

Rosheen Garnon has been appointed to the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) Board, joining a team that will oversee construction of the 1,700km Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail.

Ms Garnon a former National Managing Partner for Taxation at KPMG with global experience in infrastructure, transport and taxation.

Three existing board members have also been reappointed – Vincent Graham, Chris Barlow and Gillian Brown.

NT administrator Vicki O’Halloran reappointed

Vicki O’Halloran AM has been reappointed by Governor-General Peter Cosgrove as the Northern Territory Administrator, where she will continue to represent the Commonwealth government in the Territory.

Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories Sussan Ley said Ms O’Halloran would begin her one year term from October 31.

Northern Territory Chief Minster Michael Gunner said Ms O’Halloran was an energetic and advocate for Territorians who had implemented a diverse community engagement program.

In 2016 she was the NT finalist for Australian of the Year.

Labor ‘will consider’ dairy commissioner

Labor says it will consider a call by the dairy industry to establish a Dairy Commissioner.

An industry advocacy group has called for the creation and appointment of a Federal Dairy Commissioner to represent national producers in Canberra.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten says if elected Labor will ask the ACCC to consider the merits of the proposal as part of the terms of reference for its inquiry into the effectiveness of a Minimum Farm Gate Milk Price.

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