Coober Pedy Council hopes fourth time is a charm in CEO search

A remote South Australian council has tried – and failed – three times to lure a CEO with an already high salary, but now has even more money to throw at the recruitment drive.

The state’s most remote council will have another $40,000 available to lure a suitably qualified executive to navigate it toward financial stability.

Administrators of Coober Pedy council have tried – and failed – three times to recruit a chief executive officer to its ranks, with the paltry sum of $234,437 not enough to hire someone with the appropriate qualifications.

But the embattled council has successfully applied to the Remuneration Tribunal for an extra $40,000 be applied to the package to try and secure a CEO, making it $197,600-$274,437 available.

It puts it in the same band as councils such as Yankalilla, Tumby Bay, Clare and Gilbert Valleys and Berri Barmera.

By contrast, Adelaide City Council CEO Michael Sedgman has a total package worth $425,000 for overseeing the state’s largest local government.

Administrators of Coober Pedy council have tried – and failed – three times to recruit a chief executive officer to its ranks, with the paltry sum of $234,437.

In a gazettal notice published Thursday, the tribunal said a recruitment specialist reported the position was advertised three times, with “remuneration limitations representing the major recruitment impediment”.

The recruiters said it was “highly unlikely” the council could attract a candidate “with the level of experience” without the increase “noting there was no financial incentive for a CEO to relocate to such a remote location”.

“Furthermore, to place a candidate with lesser experience in the role would be challenging and a risk to council and the community,” the tribunal said.

“To attract a candidate that could adequately lead and manage the council would require additional financial inducements.”

The District Council of Coober Pedy has been a “defaulting council” since January 2019, which will continue through to local government elections in November 2026, meaning administrators oversee it.

“The Tribunal has recognised that the District Council of Coober Pedy faces unique regional and locational challenges together with additional responsibilities which are not generally associated with local government functions.

“Such challenges increase the level of complexity of the CEO role and the degree of risk associated with the recruitment decision.

“The Tribunal has also noted the Administrators’ recognition of the financial constraints on the council with the inherent requirement to strike a balance between a commercially sustainable rate and responsible expenditure.”

The Remuneration Tribunal of South Australia sets eight bands of remuneration amounts for council chief executives, which were updated in June this year.

It included a two per cent increase to each band – which was not an automatic increase to chief executive pays as this was the prerogative of each council.