The Queensland Government has overhauled the Queensland Rail Board, appointing four new members.
In the latest wave of changes to government-owned corporations, Queensland Rail’s former chair David Marchant AM has been replaced by Andrew Wellington, ending Mr Marchant’s seven-year tenure on the board.
Joining Wellington are Lisa Hewitt, Julian Haber and Wendy McMillan, with Loretta Lynch the sole continuing member.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Brent Mickelberg said the new board would benefit from a mix of industry experience and fresh perspectives.
“I want to thank the outgoing members for their contribution and welcome the four new members who bring a mix of extensive industry experience and new, valuable perspectives,” he said.
Treasurer and Shareholding Minister David Janetzki said the appointments brought “a team of exceptional leaders with a breadth of experience across government and industry.”
The changes follow the replacement or resignation of nine board members across multiple government-owned corporations within 48 hours.
On Thursday, new appointments were announced for Powerlink, CS Energy and Energy Queensland. Energy Queensland chair Sarah Zeljko was replaced by Patrick Brady, while Powerlink gained directors Diana Lollato and Peta Tilse, and CS Energy appointed Wendy Agar and James Versace.
Outgoing Queensland Rail directors Stephen Cantwell, Heather Watson and Vivienne Doogan have been replaced.
Electoral records reportedly show new director Julian Haber has made seven political donations between 2019 and 2024 totalling $23,980, including a $10,000 contribution in 2020. It is understood all but one of the outgoing members’ terms were due to expire.
The government says the incoming Queensland Rail board brings expertise in rail operations, cyber security, technology transformation, finance and manufacturing.
However, the rapid turnover has drawn attention in industry circles, given the scale and speed of changes across key infrastructure bodies.
