Toowoomba council acting planning, development GM Kari Musgrove to depart, following loss of Nikola Stepanov

Just months after it lost high-performing public servant Dr Nikola Stepanov, the council has revealed her temporary replacement is also departing in a move bemoaned by city developers.

Outgoing Toowoomba acting planning and development GM Kari Musgrove.

The Toowoomba Regional Council has lost another senior manager, after the organisation’s temporary replacement for former general manager Nikola Stepanov also revealed she was leaving.

Acting planning and development GM Kari Musgrove, who is greatly respected within the industry, has announced she will depart next month to take up a new role outside the council.

Ms Musgrove, who joined the TRC in 2023 as the planning branch manager, was temporarily elevated to the top job after Dr Stepanov left the council for North Queensland just before Christmas amid a major leadership shake-up.

Interim council chief executive Colin Jensen said Ms Musgrove’s final day would be on May 30, with the council starting the search for an interim GM.

Kari and Ross Musgrove at the opening night function for The Empire's Come From Away at The Rock, Friday, March 14, 2025. Picture: Hey Media

“Kari has provided the Planning and Development Group with exceptional leadership during her tenure in this key role (and) is committed to ensuring a smooth transition to new leadership within the group,” he said.

“To ensure stability and forward momentum, council has already begun recruitment for an interim general manager of planning and development.

“With recruitment for council’s permanent CEO also ongoing, the appointment of an interim general manager is seen as the best solution to filling this critical leadership role in the short term.”

Ms Musgrove confirmed her departure to News Corp, noting she had enjoyed her time with the department however the move was purely to pursue a new career opportunity.

The news has again rocked the development industry, with multiple sources bemoaning the loss of both women within five months after they witnessed a significant turnaround within the department.

“A very sad day for the development industry – she was a high achiever,” one insider said.

During the tenures of Dr Stepanov and Ms Musgrove, the council’s planning department had scored highly against national local government benchmarks on key performance indicators like valuing employees, staff engagement and staff retention.

Urban Developers Institute of Australia Toowoomba president Rob Weymouth was contacted for comment.

Originally published as Toowoomba council acting planning, development GM Kari Musgrove to depart, following loss of Nikola Stepanov