Victor Dominello has won a hefty promotion under the state's new premier Gladys Berejiklian, securing the finance, services, and property portfolio in the weekend’s NSW cabinet reshuffle.
The switch makes Dominello the top ranking minister overseeing the cluster, and hands him responsibility for the state government's IT strategy and customer transaction agency Service NSW.
He steps into the vacancy created by Dominic Perrottet, who has moved on to become treasurer in the Berejiklian cabinet.
The former Innovation minister will also bring responsibility for his pet agency, the Data Analytics Centre, along with him in the portfolio switch as part of a broader digitisation remit.
Dominello set up the DAC in 2015 to broker data exchanges between agencies and repurpose the state’s vast data stores to better inform policy development. The 20-plus person team sits within the Department of Finance, Service and Innovation.
Berejiklian has handed responsibility specifically for Dominello's old innovation portfolio to first-time minister Matt Kean.
The Hornsby MP and former PriceWaterhouseCoopers accountant has served in parliament since 2011. He has also worked as an advisor to former NSW Liberal leader John Brogden and upper house member Catherine Cusack.
Humbled&honoured to serve as #NSW Minister for Innovation. Thanks to everyone who is part of this journey. I will not let you down. #nswpol
— Matt Kean MP (@Matt_KeanMP) January 29, 2017
He will take on the management of a series of regulatory “sandboxes” that will be set up under the NSW innovation strategy to allow selected business to test new ideas outside of the demands of applicable laws and regulations.
The first technology to be tested is set to be announced early this year.
