Neil Scales appointed TMR Director-General

[SurfRail]

Friday 1 March 2013

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson announced that Neil Scales OBE has accepted the offer to take up the appointment as the new Director-General, Department of Transport and Main Roads.

Mr Emerson said Neil had demonstrated over the past four months that he was the right person to lead the Department.

Governor in Council yesterday approved to terminate the employment contract of Michael Caltabiano as Director-General, Department of Transport and Main Roads.

"Neil has been acting DG since October 2012 and showed outstanding leadership during the recent floods as the Department worked to re-open roads, re-build bridges and re-connect communities quickly," Mr Emerson said.

"He understands that the task has only just begun to deliver a significant recovery and resilience program across Queensland.

"Neil will also lead the implementation of Newman Government reforms, including a better public transport network, safer licensing, and the delivery of road and transport projects across Queensland."

Matt Longland will remain as the acting Deputy Director General of TransLink.

http://translink.com.au/about-translink/reporting-and-publications/media-releases/release/634

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I see this as a massive positive.

[Stillwater]

Agreed, but consider that a large part of his job will be taken up with roads reconstruction after the floods, and other aspects of transport away from public transport where his obvious talents lie.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

1st March 2013

DG TMR Mr Scales welcomed by RAIL Back On Track

Greetings,

RAIL Back On Track members would like to congratulate Mr Scales on his appointment as TMR DG.

In the time that Mr Scales has been DDG/CEO TransLink we have appreciated his constructive engagement and committment to public transport.

We also welcome the continuing role of Mr Longland as acting DDG TransLink.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

================

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2013/3/1/neil-scales-appointed-tmr-directorgeneral?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
   
Media Release
Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson

Neil Scales appointed TMR Director-General

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson announced that Neil Scales OBE has accepted the offer to take up the appointment as the new Director-General, Department of Transport and Main Roads.

Mr Emerson said Neil had demonstrated over the past four months that he was the right person to lead the Department.

Governor in Council yesterday approved to terminate the employment contract of Michael Caltabiano as Director-General, Department of Transport and Main Roads.

"Neil has been acting DG since October 2012 and showed outstanding leadership during the recent floods as the Department worked to re-open roads, re-build bridges and re-connect communities quickly," Mr Emerson said.

"He understands that the task has only just begun to deliver a significant recovery and resilience program across Queensland.

"Neil will also lead the implementation of Newman Government reforms, including a better public transport network, safer licensing, and the delivery of road and transport projects across Queensland."

Matt Longland will remain as the acting Deputy Director General of TransLink.

Background

Neil Scales was previously CEO of the former TransLink Transit Authority following a national and international executive recruitment conducted in 2011. He took up his position in February 2012.

Previously he was one of the United Kingdom's most senior public transport executives with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. He has extensive executive transport experience in Europe, as a consultant to the World Bank and the European Commission, and 12 years as Chief Executive and Director-General of Merseytravel in the north of England.

In 2005, Neil was awarded an OBE for services to transport.

[somebody]

Probably a positive for Qld, although it seems a bit of a loss for Translink.  Positive angle is that the DG would supportive of PT initiatives.  I wonder who would get the DDG job, an external?

[ozbob]

My own personal view is that they should just appoint Mr Longland.  TransLink need to get on with it .....

[somebody]

My own personal view is that they should just appoint Mr Longland.  TransLink need to get on with it .....

But if they aren't "getting on with it" now, that would be an interesting move.  If Mr Longland wants the job he is acting in, he needs to do it like he has it permanently.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Michael Caltabiano's successor as Transport and Main Roads D-G named

[Stillwater]

Normally, a new appointee to a position such as this receives a letter from the Minister, a bit like a duty statement, setting out the priorities that the government would like the DG to concentrate on and implement.  It would be good if the letter were made public.

Neil Scales might want to implement lots of inititives, but what matters is the extent to which he is allowed to do his job without political interference.  At the end of the day, he is a public servant under the direction of government.

Roads reconstruction and flood recovery have the potential to drag Mr Scales' focus away from PT issues, whether he likes it or not.

[#Metro]

I really hope translink head hunts some ex TTC, or ex vancouver transit chief, or even ottawa as they know how to do 'scary' network planning.

[SurfRail]

I really hope translink head hunts some ex TTC, or ex vancouver transit chief, or even ottawa as they know how to do 'scary' network planning.

They were actually doing fairly well in the old days when Luke Franzmann was running the show pre-Strachan.

Is he still attached to CRR?

[somebody]

I really hope translink head hunts some ex TTC, or ex vancouver transit chief, or even ottawa as they know how to do 'scary' network planning.

They were actually doing fairly well in the old days when Luke Franzmann was running the show pre-Strachan.

Is he still attached to CRR?

There was still a lot of mediocrity in the pre-Strachan days.  The opening of KGSBS preceded that, and while they fixed the problem where the 333 vs 330/340 went through the Cultural Centre in the reverse direction they created the same problem for the 444 vs 425/430/435/45x/460.  And they failed to use it for 35x etc.

[SurfRail]

I really hope translink head hunts some ex TTC, or ex vancouver transit chief, or even ottawa as they know how to do 'scary' network planning.

They were actually doing fairly well in the old days when Luke Franzmann was running the show pre-Strachan.

Is he still attached to CRR?

There was still a lot of mediocrity in the pre-Strachan days.  The opening of KGSBS preceded that, and while they fixed the problem where the 333 vs 330/340 went through the Cultural Centre in the reverse direction they created the same problem for the 444 vs 425/430/435/45x/460.  And they failed to use it for 35x etc.

SEQ is a lot wider than inner-city Brisbane, and the work they did from 2004 to 2007 was stellar in my view.  Very little to fault outside of the BCC area.

[somebody]

Hmm, I don't have any grounds to argue that one.