Appointment of Secretary, DPC

NSW Premier Mike Baird has tonight announced the appointment of Blair Comley, a former senior Commonwealth public servant, as Secretary, Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Mr Comley, 44, is a trained economist and is currently a special adviser with financial services firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

Between 1994 and 2007 he held a number of senior roles with Commonwealth Treasury, including an assignment with the Australian delegation to the OECD in Paris.

In 2013 he was Secretary of the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism, and between 2008 and 2013 was with Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, including as Secretary from 2011 to 2013.

Mr Baird said, “Blair Comley is an outstanding public servant who has a track record of leading and delivering major policy reforms in areas including taxation, energy and climate change.”

“I believe he is the ideal person to take leadership of the public sector in NSW as, together with the Public Service Commission, we work to transform it into an even more dynamic, flexible and productive organisation, and indeed drive reform for the Government and the people of NSW.”

Mr Comley said “I am delighted to be appointed to this role. I look forward to working with the Government to help make NSW an even better place to live.”

Mr Baird also paid tribute to Simon Smith, who has been Acting Secretary for the past five months.

“Simon has done an outstanding job in leading the Department of Premier and Cabinet, especially during the transition to a new Premier,” said Mr Baird. “I have no doubt that Simon will continue to be an important leader in the NSW Public Service.”

Mr Comley will take up his new role on October 7.