NSW top bureaucrat reveals resignation, as Premier signals darkest COVID days

The state’s most senior bureaucrat has announced his resignation from the office of Gladys Berejiklian just hours after the Premier revealed NSW was facing its darkest days in fighting COVID-19.

Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet Tim Reardon emailed staff and cabinet ministers on Friday afternoon announcing he would be leaving the role in October.

Tim Reardon during a budget estimates hearing at Parliament House in 2019.Credit: Steven Saphore

The announcement came just hours after Ms Berejiklian revealed NSW was facing its most serious threat from COVID-19, warning of thousands of possible hospitalisations and deaths if community transmission did not recede.

In a letter emailed to cabinet, seen by the Herald, Mr Reardon said it was “simply time for leadership renewal” after 10 years serving at the most senior executive levels of government.

“I am honoured to have had the opportunity of stewardship for my state. NSW has aimed to have a world class public service - that is what we have,” the letter said.

“I plan to head back to the private sector to keep driving economic recovery, like everyone else.”

Mr Reardon, who joined the public service in 2011, said he would work through the current lockdown and the next stages of the vaccine rollout.

The Premier released a statement on Friday afternoon, saying that Mr Reardon had informed her of his decision several months ago. She acknowledged him for his service to the NSW government across customer service, digital transformation and infrastructure.

“Mr Reardon has been an outstanding leader of the state’s 400,000-strong public service during two of the biggest challenges in the state’s history: the 2019-2020 bushfire crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

Mr Reardon’s announcement comes less than eight months after top transport bureaucrat Rodd Staples was removed from his role, securing an $800,000 payout when his contract was terminated.

The Herald earlier this year revealed correspondence between the men, in which Mr Reardon told Mr Staples he would be removed under section 41 of the Government Sector Employment Act, which allows for executives to be terminated “at any time, for any or no stated reason and without notice”.

At the time of Mr Reardon’s 2017 appointment to DPC, Ms Berejiklian said he was the ideal person to take on the leadership of the NSW public service.

“His expertise in strategic infrastructure planning and project delivery has been at the heart of this government’s achievements,” she said.

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