Redland to undergo sweeping review despite cost concerns

Redland Mayor Jos Mitchell has secured council backing for a major operational review, despite councillor concerns over costs, scope, and whether it should be externally led.

Redland chief executive Louise Rusan, left, and mayor Jos Mitchell will head an advisory committee to establish the terms of reference for the comprehensive review.

Redland City Council mayor Jos Mitchell has secured majority backing to undertake a wide-ranging review of all council activities, a move that has sparked intense debate among councillors about its scope, cost and implementation.

The council voted to proceed with an “intent to commission” an external review, aiming to assess council operations holistically and identify efficiencies.

The decision, however, was met with resistance from five councillors concerned about the review’s direction and scope.

The discussion was marked by extensive back-and-forth exchanges, with councillors seeking clarification on the terms and objectives of the review.

The main point of contention was whether the review should be explicitly external or if a more flexible approach was preferable.

Deputy mayor Julie Talty suggested the motion should not commit to an outright external review.

Cr Talty questioned whether an external review was necessary and councillors Peter Mitchell, Rowanne McKenzie, Jason Colley and Shane Rendalls said they were not comfortable with the terms of reference and there were no parameters for costs.

Mayor Jos Mitchell has called for a comprehensive review of Redland council with the aid of CEO Louise Rusan.

Mayor Mitchell, however, stood firm on the intent to commission an external review.

“The intent of this is to get external eyes and to conduct a holistic view of the organisation,” she said.

“This is not exclusionary. This is trying to do the best for our organisation and our community.

“We haven’t had a comprehensive external review of our organisation in recent history.

“It’s a healthy undertaking to ensure our operations align with best practices and serve our growing community efficiently,” she said.

Cr McKenzie raised concerns about ambiguity surrounding an advisory group tasked with overseeing the review and setting the terms of reference.

Under the plan, the mayor and the council’s new CEO Louise Rusan would initially establish the group in consultation with councillors and council executive leaders with finer details to be determined in workshops.

Cr Rendalls asked for further clarification on the review’s scope and whether it would cover all council activities or be limited.

“If it’s a comprehensive review, does that mean every single function of council?” he asked. “And if so, how do you plan to define what falls within that scope?”

Mayor Mitchell acknowledged all concerns but insisted the review would be guided by evidence-based approaches and community needs.

She said customer satisfaction surveys, feedback from residents, and infrastructure challenges would be key in shaping the review’s focus.

Despite the vigorous debate and the unknown costs, the motion passed with the support of councillors Wendy Boglary, Paul Golle, Lance Hewlett, Tracy Huges, Paul Bishop, and the mayor.

The council will now establish the advisory group to define terms of reference.