EXCLUSIVE: Leaked letter reveals truth behind Fredman exit
New light shone on controversial 2016 departure of head of engineering
Gympie
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NEW light has been shed on former Gympie Regional Council’s head of engineering Bob Fredman’s shock exit in 2016, with a leaked letter confirming he was initially sacked.
Two new documents obtained by The Gympie Times reveal a power struggle for the direction of the council’s water and sewerage branch.
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The exact nature of Mr Fredman’s departure has been controversial since. Senior council figures have said he resigned, whereas other councillors and some community members claimed he was fired.
In the letter dated August 22, 2016 and signed by now-former CEO Bernard Smith, Mr Fredman was told the “council will exercise its right … to terminate your employment”.
At issue were “concerns … substantiated and/or highlighted by the recent independent water and sewerage review”.
This review was held confidentially by the council until a Right to Information request by this paper forced its disclosure last year.
It revealed environmental breaches in 2015, a skilled staff shortage and ad hoc management were driving forces behind a controversial decision to overhaul the water service unit in late 2016.
In the letter to Mr Fredman, Mr Smith said an “array of actions” was needed to fix these shortfalls in the department.
“I am of the belief that you are not able to implement the necessary changes,” he said.
In response, Mr Fredman wrote back the following day saying the problems were “largely a consequence of the water and sewerage branch funding and of the GRC organisational culture”.
“The overwhelming evidence in the report is that we were starved of resources, support and co-operation,” Mr Fredman said.
“It is effectively damning of the current corporate culture.”
He said the findings were “worthy of further investigation but … not new” and staffing issues were the fallout from a “clear directive … over the last three budgets that ‘no more staff’ was the rule for budget cost minimisation purposes”.
“Further, this position was supplemented by an overriding directive that any requested new permanent positions in water and sewerage wait until this report,” he said.
“The wait has spanned two budgets.”
Mr Fredman said water staff “would indeed love the resources recommended to do an even better job”.
“The impact of corporate issues and restricted staffing levels on the performance of the water and sewerage branch has been conveniently overlooked, in favour of writing a report which some could erroneously see as damning,” he wrote.
Although Mr Fredman’s response is dated August 23, it is understood councillors did not receive a copy of it until a month later.
Contacted about the documents this week, Mr Fredman said they had been leaked “without my agreement”.
Mr Smith said yesterday “ultimately what happened was that Bob resigned”.
In response to the criticism of the report, Mr Smith said Mr Fredman was “entitled to his views, but the report was the report”.
“The matter is four years old,” Mr Smith said. “What is the purpose of raking over the coals?
“Everyone should be looking forward.”
Timeline
2015: Council reviews water services; report find significant shortfalls
22 August 2016: Bob Fredman informed in letter he is being terminated
23 August 2016: Mr Fredman writes response to report claiming issues caused by council culture; document not distributed at this time
30 August 2016: News of Mr Fredman’s resignation breaks
7 September 2016: A motion to overhaul the water and sewerage branch is brought to the council tabled in committee. It is deferred
9 September 2016: Councillor Glen Hartwig calls for an inquiry into Mr Fredman’s departure
30 September 2016: The water and sewerage overhaul is voted in by councillors. Glen Hartwig, Hilary Smerdon and James Cochrane do not support it
30 November 2016: A 2000-signataure petition asking for an inquiry into Mr Fredman’s departure is lodged with Jackie Trad’s office
17 December 2016: Glen Hartwig sensationally claims in a letter to the editor ‘Mr Fredman was sacked’
6 September 2018: The Gympie Times seeks release of 2015 water report through RTI. The request was denied by the council
4 September 2019: 2015 water review finally released following Right to Information appeal.
14 September 2019: Mayor Mick Curran again refutes claims, says Mr Fredman ‘was not sacked’
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