Cosgroves New Front

[Collo]

PETER Cosgrove has added another role to the rapidly growing list of jobs he has taken on since retiring from the army in 2005.

General Cosgrove was yesterday named chairman of the Australian War Memorial Council after being appointed to the body in June last year.

He replaces Major General Adrian Clunies-Ross, who has served since 2000.

Since retiring as chief of the Australian Defence Force, the former army commander has accepted a raft of consultancies and board memberships.

Within a week of donning civilian clothes, he became a consultant with accounting firm Deloittes. He is also a director of the Australian Rugby Union.

Last year, he earned $239,435 serving as a non-executive director on the Qantas board. His remuneration at the War Memorial is $24,730 a year.

He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and chairman of the South Australian Defence Industry Development Board and of the board of Cardno, an engineering consultancy. General Cosgrove also oversaw the emergency reconstruction effort in north Queensland after Cyclone Larry last year.

Having served more than 40 years in the ADF, General Cosgrove is paid a service pension not less than 75 per cent of the average of his last three years salary as chief of the defence force - estimated at more than $200,000 a year. As a celebrity speaker he can command up to $20,000 an engagement.