Legislative Council Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2) 53 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Answers to Questions Departmental Staff Departmental Staff The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY Legislative Council Leader of the Opposition Departmental Staff In reply to the Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (2 March 2017). The Hon. I.K. HUNTER Legislative Council Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change Departmental Staff The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change): I have been advised: The new executive structure within DEWNR was achieved without increasing overall spend on executive salaries. The increased number of executives reporting directly to the chief executive was achieved through flattening the existing structure. Five out of the six group executive directors were pre-existing executives within the department, whose roles and functions were realigned to support the new structure. The newly created position of Group Executive Director, Economic and Sustainable Development, was filled by Mr Matt Johnson, an existing member of the South Australian Executive Service, who moved at level from the Department of State Development.