XN000022-1981-08-21 — Page 4

FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 1981

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REORGANISATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES FOR WORKS, LAND, TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

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THREE SENIOR GOVERNMENT APPOINTMENTS WERE ANNOUNCED TODAY.

MR DEREK JONES (PREVIOUSLY SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT) IS TO BECOME SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR DAVID MCDONALD WILL BE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, AND MR JOHN TODD (PREVIOUSLY HEAD OF THE LANDS DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENT BRANCH) WILL BECOME DIRECTOR OF LANDS (DESIGNATE).

THE APPOINTMENTS TAKE EFFECT IN SEPTEMBER, ALTHOUGH INITIALLY MR MCDONALD WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO BE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS. BOTH MR JONES AND MR MCDONALD WILL CONTINUE AS OFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE NEW POSTS WERE PART OF THE FIRST PHASE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF A MAJOR REORGANISATION. THIS FIRST PHASE INVOLVES THE ABOLITION OF THE ENVIRONMENT BRANCH. THE BRANCH'S TRANSPORT DIVISION IS BEING STRENGTHENED AND TRANSFORMED INTO A NEW TRANSPORT BRANCH, WHILE THE LANDS DIVISION WILL INITIALLY FORM THE NUCLEUS OF THE NEW LANDS AND WORKS BRANCH.

IN ADDITION, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACTIVITIES WILL BE GIVEN ADDED EMPHASIS BY PLACING THE RELEVANT DIVISION UNDER THE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES, MR IAN MACPHERSON, WHO WILL BE RETITLED DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND APPOINTED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

THE SECOND STAGE OF THE REORGANISATION WILL TAKE PLACE TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, AND WILL INVOLVE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT BY A NUMBER OF SEPARATE WORKS' DEPARTMENTS, THE CREATION OF THE REST OF THE NEW LANDS AND WORKS BRANCH, AND THE STRENGTHENING OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT.

THE APPOINTMENT OF MR TODD AS DIRECTOR OF LANDS (DESIGNATE) WILL ENABLE DETAILED PLANNING TO PROCEED FOR THE CREATION OF A NEW LANDS DEPARTMENT, WHICH WILL TAKE OVER THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR LAND ADMINISTRATION WHICH IS CURRENTLY SPLIT BETWEEN A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS. THERE WILL ALSO BE A RATIONALISATION OF THE COMMITTEE STRUCTURE IN THIS AREA. THE AIM IS TO CREATE THE NEW DEPARTMENT IN ABOUT APRIL 1982.

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