Simon Draper PSM will cease his responsibilities at the Reconstruction Authority to solely focus on leading the public service as Secretary of Premier’s Department.
Deputy Commissioner Lanyon led flood recovery efforts in the Northern Rivers as the Northern NSW Recovery Coordinator in 2022 and has had an extensive career in the NSW Police Force.
Deputy Commissioner Lanyon will commence his role as Acting CEO from 8 April 2024.
Simon Draper commenced as Secretary of Premier’s Department on 1 September 2023 and has been undertaking both roles over the past 7 months.
This delivered continuity and certainty for the Reconstruction Authority across the summer bushfire season.
The Reconstruction Authority was established on 16 December 2022 to proactively reduce the impact of floods, fires and other major disasters, and to help communities across NSW recover from them faster.
Many NSW residents live in disaster-prone areas, with several communities across the state experiencing major disasters since 2019.
Following devastating floods in February and March 2022, the Northern Rivers region has continued to move forward with the recovery, repairing and rebuilding its communities. The floods were unprecedented and the recovery will be a long road for communities.
The Central West region was impacted by flooding events that started in August and September 2022 and extended through to early 2023.
The Reconstruction Authority is committed to standing by these communities on their recovery journey.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully said:
“The Reconstruction Authority will be in safe hands with Deputy Commissioner Lanyon, an experienced and accomplished leader with extensive experience in working hand-in-hand with communities in both disaster response and recovery.
“I look forward to working closely with Deputy Commissioner Lanyon in the coming months.”
Minister for Emergency Services, Jihad Dib said:
“When disaster strikes, our communities rely on the dedication and unflagging efforts of our frontline responders across the emergency services and NSW Police Force.
“I welcome the appointment of Deputy Commissioner Lanyon to lead the NSW Reconstruction Authority as it continues its essential work to build resilience in our communities.”
Janelle Saffin, Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery said:
“I worked alongside Mal following the devastating floods in the Northern Rivers and am thrilled to be working with him again.
“There is no better person to lead this organisation, to ensure our state is prepared for disasters, and to help NSW recover after they strike.
“I also take this opportunity to thank Simon Draper for establishing the NSW Reconstruction Authority, and for doing such a fantastic job of getting us to the stage where we now have a State Disaster Mitigation Plan and teams in locations across the state.
“Simon took over following the massive disaster in the Northern Rivers plus a series of other major disasters. He has pulled together a strong team to help NSW recover and respond when disasters happen.”
