Peter Duncan

Appointed 22 January 2024

Peter is the principal and director of an advisory business dealing in management, leadership, strategy, and governance. He is an experienced non-executive director, currently chair and non-executive director of both Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) and Water NSW.

He is also a non-executive director of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service. The service is a charity and is contracted to NSW Health providing aeromedical services across the Hunter and Northern NSW. The service is a 24/7 responder and undertakes over 1,000 missions per year.

Peter was a member of the advisory board of the Office of Projects Victoria for the past six years. This board reported to the Victorian Treasurer and in its role to oversee the states pipeline of major infrastructure projects providing critical oversight on cost, scope and technical matters.

In April 2023, Peter was appointed as Acting Secretary of the NSW Department of Premier & Cabinet to lead the transition and establishment of The Cabinet Office and the new Premier’s Department, both of which will report directly to the Premier. This appointment concluded in August 2023.

Peter recently concluded his 6-year tenure with the Independent Planning Commission NSW as a Commissioner and Deputy Chair, and chair of the Commission's Risk & Compliance committee. Other recent roles include Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (Advisory board member), Webuild (Advisory board member) and Local Government Ministerial Advisory Group (Chair).

Peter was chair of the successful $3.8 billion Prison upgrade program in NSW from 2017 until 2020 including chairing the Clarence Correctional Centre PPP Steering Committee until the facility’s official opening in July 2020. Duncan Advisory has provided advice to industry to improve the capacity and capability in the civil construction and infrastructure industry. Peter is a previous past board member and Chair of both Austroads and the ARRB group - Australian Road Research Board.

Prior to August 2016, Peter held a number of senior roles in the public sector, including a five-year term as Chief Executive of Roads and Maritime Services (RMS), a statutory authority within the broader Transport for NSW portfolio. In 2016 RMS managed $80 billion of public infrastructure assets and annual delivery expenditure of $9.7 billion per annum from both State and Federal programs.
Peter was previously Director General of the Department of Services, Technology and Administration, including responsibility for Public Works, Manly Hydraulics Laboratory, Fair Trading, State Procurement and Industrial Relations.

In 2001, Peter was awarded a Centenary Medal for “services to the community”. He was also awarded a Member of the Order of Australia – for “significant service to public administration, and to conservation and the environment” – in 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours. He is a Companion of the Institute of Engineers Australia and a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia.