Our Secretary
Michael Taylor
Mike is the Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. He took up his appointment as the Department's Secretary on 26 October 2004.
Mike was previously the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (2000-2004) and prior to that the Secretary for various Victorian Government Departments; the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (1996-2000), the Department of Agriculture, Energy and Minerals (1995-1996) and the Department of Agriculture (1992-1995).
Mike has been extensively involved in preparing and negotiating international, Commonwealth and State agreements and legislation, and in advising Governments and Commonwealth/State Ministerial Councils on a wide range of agricultural, food, forestry, fisheries, energy, minerals, regional, water, environmental and sustainable natural resource management, policy, regulatory and operational issues.
In recent years, Mike has played a national leadership role in improving Quarantine Policy arrangements to increase Australia's protection from pests and diseases, the development of the National Food Industry Strategy, the establishment and implementation of the National Action Plan for Dryland Salinity and Water Quality, and the National Water Initiative.
Earlier in his career, Mike held the position of Chief Executive with the Australian Dairy Industry Council (1990 - 1992), representing Australia's largest processed food export industry. Prior to that, he held various positions within the Department of Agriculture, Victoria, including General Manager (Rural Policy and Marketing) and Director of Marketing.
Mike is currently a member of the Australian Public Service Management Advisory Committee (APS-MAC) and chaired the APS-MAC Senior Executive Service Performance Management Sub-Committee. He is President of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (ACT), a Fellow of both the Institute of Public Administration of Australia (Vic) and the Australian Institute of Management, and a member of the CEO Circle.
Mike's academic background is in agricultural science and economics. He completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at the University of Melbourne in 1970 and a Diploma in Economics at the University of New England in 1972.