NSW DCCEEW makes CDIO its top tech role

The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) will now have chief digital and information officer (CDIO) as its top technology executive role, instead of CIO.

The department, which was formed at the start of 2024, appointed Aleksandr (Alex) Render as its inaugural chief information officer on an interim basis.

Render, who was previously the director of business engagement, strategy and architecture at the former Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, is now acting CDIO, a DCCEEW spokesperson told iTnews.

The department is recruiting for a permanent CDIO.

The CIO role was expanded to CDIO "to reflect the fact that IT and digital capabilities, including data and systems, play a critical role in helping the department ... deliver service," the spokesperson said.

"This role is an expansion of the current CIO responsibilities that Render is performing."

The CDIO reports directly to the department's CEO, with responsibilities covering data, digital, IT, AI and cyber strategies.

DCCEEW was created through a split at the Department of Planning and Environment.

The other department that was created out of this split was the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI).

DPHI sought a new CIO in December 2024 and eventually hired Mark Beaumont in March, according to LinkedIn.