Gold Coast City Council shake-up as senior executives leave

A major shake-up at Gold Coast City Hall, including the shock departure of two popular senior executives, has sparked uproar among the council’s thousands of staff after recent reviews raised issues about bad morale.

Action in the Gold Coast City Council Chambers for Council budget day 2022. New CEO Tim Baker. Picture Glenn Hampson

A major shake-up at Gold Coast City Hall, including the shock departure of two popular senior executives, has sparked uproar among the council’s thousands of staff.

The Gold Coast City Council’s youthful new CEO Tim Baker is embarking on a massive restructure which has led to the sudden exit of its most experienced manager, Joe McCabe, as well as another top bureaucrat, Alison Ewens.

The shake-up continued this week with the appointment of former Dreamworld executive Paul Callander, who spearheaded crisis management at the theme park following the 2016 Thunder River Rapids ride disaster, to the new position of “City Transformation” director.

Ms Ewens has been replaced as lifestyle and community director by former council transport and infrastructure boss Alton Twine, whose management style has divided staff.

“Many people are saying they’re going to look for new jobs if he’s their director,” one council insider said.

Alison Ewens.

Joe McCabe. Picture Glenn Hampson

The restructure follows a cultural review which showed concerning levels of morale among the council’s 4000 staff.

Before she left this month, Ms Ewens said some staff felt “miserable” and others like they were “drowning” in red tape in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Seven senior managers have left the council since 2020.

Mr Baker, a former Tasmanian Government senior bureaucrat, was appointed council CEO in February to replace David Edwards who quit the $600,000-a-year role last year only weeks into the job, citing health reasons.

Mr Edwards, son of former Queensland treasurer Sir Lew Edwards, had been chosen to replace the long-serving Dale Dickson.

In a statement, Mr Baker defended the contentious restructure which he said followed extensive staff consultation.

“When I started at Council in February, I communicated with staff in person, in live online forums and by email that I was undertaking a structural review and a culture survey,” he said.

“Most recently, following this work, I held an online forum for all staff (1500 attended) where I clearly articulated the cultural challenges we faced and that there would be structural changes.

“One of the changes was that a new Transformation Directorate be created.

“The City has now moved into a transitional phase and as such I have appointed various individuals to key leadership roles for this period.

“Alton Twine has significant management and Council experience and has been appointed to the role of Director, Lifestyle and Community for this reason. I have absolute confidence in his ability to do the role.

“Our focus is on transforming this organisation into a modern, innovative and high performing City administration that delivers value and quality outcomes for residents.”