Director General’s report (extract)
Our department has this year focused on building our capability as a strong, valued and forward-looking agency that effectively delivers for our state’s regions, primary industries and WA community.
Our involvement in the Public Sector Commission’s (PSC’s) Agency Capability Review (ACR) Program provided a launchpad to help lift us to a better-performing organisation, giving us a greater understanding of what we are doing well and areas where we can improve.
The executive summary of the review report published in August 2023 identified 3 key areas to focus on: enhancing biosecurity preparedness and capability; establishing greater clarity of priorities and strategic focus on primary industries and regional development; and designing a workforce for continuity of service delivery. We made a commitment to address the ACR findings, including through our own Corporate Executive priorities, and made good headway during the year (see p.41).
In the emergency management space, we welcomed Meghan Barnes as our Director Emergency Management Capability and Culture, a role established through the PSC’s Women in Executive Leadership Experience program.
Given the increasing number and complexity of incidents and emergencies, Meghan helped us to be better prepared as a Hazard Management Agency by developing strategy, policy and processes to ensure we have a robust emergency management function. This work will continue in 2024-25.
On the ground, we continued to respond to a range of biosecurity incursions, including successfully eradicating Queensland fruit fly (Qfly) from Bayswater and surrounding areas, as well as undertaking the biggest surveillance program in our department’s history to help eradicate the destructive polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB).
