Qld audit office finds senior Gympie council staff paid more than owed

The Qld Audit Office has revealed another three Gympie council staff received settlement payments above and beyond what was obligated in their contracts, with little explanation as to why.

Three departed Gympie Regional Council staff members have reportedly been paid out “over and above” what their contracts required, new information from the state’s audit watchdog reveals.

Three departed Gympie Regional Council staff have reportedly been paid out “over and above” what their contracts required, new information from the state’s audit watchdog reveals.

The revelations were contained in a final management report from the Queensland Audit Office, sent to Mayor Glen Hartwig in May, and to be tabled at the council’s ordinary meeting at the end of June.

The QAO’s report is the last step in the organisation’s annual review and inspection of Queensland council books for 2022-23.

The report is required to be tabled for councillors under state regulations.

Discovery of the three payments follows a similar finding during the 2o21-22 audit that a former senior Gympie council staffer was given a secret payout on top of their termination entitlements.

“During our year-end audit (for 2023) we identified a further three employees who received termination payments through settlement deeds which included payments made over and above contractual obligations,” the report says.

Three departed Gympie Regional Council staff members have reportedly been paid out “over and above” what their contracts required, new information from the state’s audit watchdog reveals.

“Beyond the deed of separation, we were not provided with additional documentation to justify these payments.”

It says in the report the council lacked a clear policy or guidelines to support such payments at the time.

A response from the council’s management team says the issue was “resolved” pending clearance from the auditor.

“Termination payments will require calculation by (human resources) and approval from the CEO,” the council’s response says.

“Standard separation payments have been conveyed to the executive leadership team and were agreed in principle.

“All termination payments will require the incumbent to sign a deed of separation.”

The payments were among a number of points of concern identified by the watchdog about the council’s financial management and reporting.

These included a “deficiency’ in which transactions were approved outside the company’s policy.

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It found two instances where staff approved the disposal of assets with a value higher than the limit they were supposed to adhere to.

The office said this risked “inappropriate or unauthorised expenditure being incurred”.

The council says it now requires staff disposing of assets to confirm they have the correct approvals to do so.