The former boss of Customs has been announced as the new secretary of the Immigration and Border Protection department, as Minister for Immigration Scott Morrison pushes to consolidate the Customs and Immigration departments to form the Australian Border Force.
Michael Pezzullo, who has an extensive background in the public service, was named as the secretary on Thursday afternoon. His replacement at Customs will be Roman Quaedvlieg, who will step in until the super-agency is created in July next year.
"The evolution of our border functions is critical," Mr Morrison said. "We must manage the integrity of our border, and contribute to the prosperity and protection of the economy and, of course, the Australian community."
The fusing of the two departments is expected to cost 480 full-time jobs from the departments' pool of 14,304 full-time employees.
The appointment comes as a land and sea search operation continues on Christmas Island for a Department of Immigration and Border Protection psychiatrist missing on the remote Island.
Australian Federal Police and officers on board a customs vessel continued to scour the island and surrounding waters on Thursday evening for any sign of the worker.
The Australian man, who works as a psychiatrist for employees who work on the island's immigration detention centre, did not turn up for a flight on Tuesday, sparking the search.
His car was believed to have been found near the Winifred Beach walking trail, which is notorious for sinkholes and unpredictable terrain. But a source on the island said the car was then discovered to be owned by two scientists on the island who had gone for a walk in the beach.
Shire president of Christmas Island, Gordon Thomson, said a Czech tourist went missing in the same area on the island five years ago, and his body was never found.
"It's unlikely he will be found," Mr Thomson said. "Our experience is it's very hard to find people who get lost in this area."
An Australian Federal Police spokesperson said a land and sea search was under way.
It is understood the man worked for the Employment Assistance Program, which offers psychological assistance to people working for the Immigration Department's Christmas Island detention centre.
A spokesman for Immigration Minister Scott Morrison referred the matter to the AFP, saying they were "unable to provide information at this time."
