NEWS RELEASE - Premier of New South Wales July 11, 2002 Carmel Tebutt appointed Minister for Community Services, Disability Services and Ageing -- Sandra Nori appointed Minister for Women Premier of NSW, Mr Bob Carr today announced the appointment of Ms Carmel Tebbutt as Minister for Community Services, Minister for Disability Services and Minister for Ageing. Ms Tebbutt replaces Mrs Faye Lo Po', who served as Minister for Community Services, Minister for Disability Services, Minister for Ageing since December 1997. NSW Tourism and Small Business Minister, Ms Sandra Nori has been given the additional responsibility of Minister for Women. Ms Tebbutt will retain the positions of Minister for Juvenile Justice and Minister Assisting the Premier on Youth. Mr Carr also announced that Dr Neil Shepherd would take over from Ms Carmel Niland as the Director-General of the Department of Community Services. In addition, Mr Carr announced the appointment of the Honourable Henry Tsang, MLC as Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier on Investment. Mr Carr paid tribute to Mrs Lo Po' saying she had worked tirelessly to improve the conditions of families and the underprivileged. "Mrs Lo Po' has worked for four years and seven months in one of the Government's most challenging portfolios," Mr Carr said. "Ms Lo Po' is the longest serving Community Services Minister since 1965. "It is a tribute to her commitment and talent that her nine immediate predecessors serving an average of less than two years each in the portfolio." Mr Carr said Ms Lo Po' can be proud of her many achievements including: Implementing the far-reaching child protection legislation Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998, firmly establishing NSW as the leading state in Australia for the care and protection of children and young people; Proclaimation of Permanency Planning legislation, which ensures long term planning (including the option of adoption) for abused and neglected children who cannot safely return to their own families; Achieving a record $131 million budget for child protection - up from $49 million in 1995 - and providing record numbers of caseworker and support support positions, with more than 330 new position created in last 18 months; Creating the Department of Aging, Disability and Home Care in 2001 and establishing the Office for Ageing in 2002; Achiveing an Australian first with the establishment of the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian to monitor the interests and welfare of children in out of home care; and As Minister for Women in NSW, achieving an Australian Government first by developing a long-term stratgy to achive pay equity for women. Ms Lo Po' would remain in the Parliament until the next state election. Dr Neil Shepherd would assume the position of Director-General of Community Services on Monday, July 15. Dr Shepherd is one of the State's most senior Public Servants having served as Deputy Director-General in the Cabinet Office since August 2000. Premier's Department Director-General, Dr Col Gellatly and Ms Niland would meet shortly to discuss future activity for her within the NSW public service. Dr Shepherd was Director-General of the Enviornment Protection Authority from its establishment in 1992 until August 2000. Mr Carr said Ms Niland had played a major role in reforming the Department of Community Services and over the past four years and had been instrumental in improving the services delivered by the Department. ###