Jeroen Weimar will be the new Secretary of the Department of Transport and Planning according to a report in the Herald Sun and now confirmed by the premier.
He replaces Paul Younis who had held the secretary role for 6 years. Mr Younis has lately enjoyed extended responsibilities with his transport department recently incorporating planning. However it wasn't to last long. News of his departure emerged in September, again via a media report, with a replacement to be nominated later.
Mr Weimar's appointment is likely to be widely welcomed by people in public transport as, unlike some previous department heads and executives, he brings significant operational experience to the role. This experience was gained across multiple public transport modes in both London and Melbourne. You could say that he was a 'transport lifer' with exposure to many aspects of the portfolio.
Also, unlike the more reserved Mr Younis, Mr Weimar is comfortable in explaining things to people and fronting the media (even under pressure). He has been one of the state's highest profile and controversial public servants, with leadership roles in the pandemic response, preparation for the abandoned Commonwealth Games and latterly housing; basically anything the government regarded as top priority at the time.
Weimar's rapid chopping and changing may elicit some criticism but his background will be a genuine asset in his new transport and planning role. No one can seriously say he's unqualified for the job. And he's done it before (or at least the transport bit). A formal announcement from the government is expected soon according to the Herald-Sun report.
Five priorities for the new Secretary
In September I set down five priorities for the incoming DTP secretary with regards to public transport as we transition from construction to the operating phase for many of our major projects. These now become Mr Weimar's responsibility. In brief they are:
Also, unlike the more reserved Mr Younis, Mr Weimar is comfortable in explaining things to people and fronting the media (even under pressure). He has been one of the state's highest profile and controversial public servants, with leadership roles in the pandemic response, preparation for the abandoned Commonwealth Games and latterly housing; basically anything the government regarded as top priority at the time.
Weimar's rapid chopping and changing may elicit some criticism but his background will be a genuine asset in his new transport and planning role. No one can seriously say he's unqualified for the job. And he's done it before (or at least the transport bit). A formal announcement from the government is expected soon according to the Herald-Sun report.
Five priorities for the new Secretary
In September I set down five priorities for the incoming DTP secretary with regards to public transport as we transition from construction to the operating phase for many of our major projects. These now become Mr Weimar's responsibility. In brief they are:
1. Sweat the assets / maximise community benefit / frequency first
2. Fix bus services / reform the backlog
3. Rebuild passenger confidence / excel with service / expect better from operators
4. Set a patronage target / promote the network
5. Defend revenue / Get passengers paying again
I said the new secretary needed to be a 'tough cookie who took the bus'. Read more about the challenges they face here. Plus others I described as ticking timebombs and bus reforms for a broke government.
Best wishes to both Mr Younis for whatever he does next and to Mr Weimar in his new journey leading Transport and Planning. The appointment commences on 27 January 2025. It could be exciting times.
5 comments:
> 5. Defend revenue / Get passengers paying again
You mean raise fares?
More in cutting fare evasion.
great pick for the job!
More to do with getting people to pay fares on buses and trams. Fare evasion is rife on those modes.
Another plum job for someone who's never completed any appointment He has been gifted
Premier is racing to make him a multi millionaire to keep his mouth shut
What a filthy mob they are
Post a Comment