Max Mitchell

Mr GREG PIPER (Lake Macquarie)—I'd like to acknowledge and congratulate Assistant Commissioner Max Mitchell on his outstanding 40-year career with the NSW Police Force. Max's retirement was announced last week and was celebrated with great pomp and ceremony as he stepped down from his role as Northern Region Commander, the region within which Lake Macquarie is incorporated. I met Max on numerous occasions and aside from his rank, he was clearly a leader in the way he approached the job. I know he was highly respected by his colleagues and greatly improved the quality of policing in our region. Max grew up in Lake Macquarie and joined the police force in 1981, he worked across multiple commands achieving the rank of detective in 1989. Among his noteworthy accomplishments are leading the NSW Police Force's response to the devastating 2011 earthquake in Christchurch and being seconded to the Australia New Zealand Police Advisory Agency. He was instrumental in the creation of the Police Transport Command and became its Commander in 2012. I wish Max all the best with his retirement and thank him for his many years of distinguished and highly decorated service.