A former Labor staffer will head up Australia's busiest transport network, prompting accusations it's a case of "jobs for the boys".
Laing O’Rourke executive Josh Murray will take the wheel of the NSW transport department as the Minns government promises radical improvements to tollways, bus services and train maintenance.
His 15 years of experience at the global construction and engineering firm meant he had the right skills and experience to lead a 28,000-strong organisation heavily reliant on frontline workers, Transport Minister Jo Haylen said.
The new secretary was chosen after market testing and a recruitment process by the head of the premier's department.
But the opposition dubbed the appointment an "extraordinary and unprecedented case of 'jobs for the boys'."
"Mr Murray’s only qualification for the role is that he is an ex-Labor staffer," opposition transport spokeswoman Natalie Ward said on Friday.
His time as chief of staff to former Labor premier Morris Iemma was in a government that had an "abysmal public transport record", she said.
"I am not sure how an individual whose experience is in corporate affairs is qualified to run an organisation with 25,000 employees and manage a $76 billion infrastructure pipeline," she said.
In a statement announcing the appointment on Thursday, Mr Murray was described as having "significant experience" in NSW government having worked in previous premier, deputy premier and ministerial offices, including in transport portfolios.
He joined Laing O’Rourke in 2008, moving to their London office in 2017 and joining their global executive committee in 2019.
A feature common in London has finally been made available to Sydney commuters, with Apple Pay users able to pay for fares without using their face or finger to unlock their device.
The feature had been available to Samsung Pay and Google Pay users for some time.
But getting Apple users on board required a staggered software rollout across the state’s 25,000 Opal readers, with the last mode - buses - brought on this week.
Ms Haylen said the initiative will make life easier for the almost two million transport passengers who use contactless payments with a digital wallet in NSW.
"We’re embracing the future of travel, putting our state in line with global cities such as New York, London and Hong Kong," she said on Friday.
"Think of your phone as your public transport passport."
More than 65 per cent of contactless card taps on the Opal network are made using a digital wallet, mainly through Apple Pay.
