Livingstone Shire Council sacks CEO Christina Murdoch

The decision was made today following an independent investigation.

Livingstone Shire Council CEO Christina Murdoch has today been sacked.

LIVINGSTONE Shire Council has today terminated the employment of its chief executive officer Christina Murdoch.

The council released a statement this afternoon which read: “In January, the council commissioned an independent investigation under the oversight of the Crime and Corruption Commission into allegations of misconduct against Ms Murdoch.

“Council today considered the findings of the investigation and voted on a resolution to terminate Ms Murdoch’s employment with immediate effect.”

Livingstone said acting CEO Brett Bacon would continue in that position until the council could conduct a recruitment process and appoint a permanent CEO.

Ms Murdoch last attended an ordinary council meeting on December 19 last year and the authority’s executive director liveability and wellbeing, Mr Bacon, has deputised for her since.

In February this year, when questioned about Ms Murdoch’s absence, Livingstone Shire Council would only confirm the CEO was on “extended leave for a private reason” and indicated it did not have a return date for her.

Ms Murdoch was appointed CEO of Livingstone in April 2016, and before that she had been the council’s director Corporate Services since October 2014.

She had previously held executive leadership roles in the public health and higher education sectors for almost 20 years, as well as being a chief finance officer in the private sector.

Ms Murdoch, a chartered accountant with a degree in commerce and post graduate qualifications in psychology, became the first female CEO of Livingstone Shire Council.

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