Temporary solution to Reconstruction Authority leadership
2 April 2024 - The NSW Reconstruction Authority is set to have a new Chief Executive Officer following the appointment of NSW Police Force Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon to the role. The current CEO, Simon Draper, will remain in his role as Secretary of the Premier’s Department.
Greens MP and spokesperson for justice and regional NSW Sue Higginson said “The Reconstruction Authority and its previous versions, has been the subject of intense criticism, particularly in communities that are recovering from devastating disasters. It was short sighted of the Government to not have appointed a sole CEO of the Reconstruction Authority and it was unrealistic to think the role could be undertaken by the Secretary of the Premier’s Department,”
“It is a genuine shame that Deputy Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon will only be seconded to the role for 6 months. When he was temporarily appointed to be the Recovery Coordinator in the Northern Rivers following the 2022 floods, the situation markedly improved,”
“A series of former heads of the Authority have failed to grasp the level of trauma that has been experienced and the stability that is required in the role. We need a permanent move away from instability and towards a human focussed and stable role in the community,”
“Mal could be an ideal permanent CEO for the Reconstruction Authority. When he first arrived in the Northern Rivers, he took the time to sit down with parts of the community that had been completely forgotten or ignored, and he did all of this as he drastically improved the organisation of the on-ground recovery,”
“Unfortunately, this temporary appointment means that communities recovering from disasters will continue to be exposed to the political convenience of temporary appointments rather than a serious investment in finding a stable and compassionate leader for a critical state authority,” Ms Higginson said.