Clarence Valley in 'good shape'

THERE have been plenty of tough decisions to make and challenges to overcome for the Clarence Valley Council's retiring general manager Stuart McPherson.

Clarence Valley Council general manager, Stuart McPherson, had his last day on the job yesterday. Picture: JoJo Newby

THERE have been plenty of tough decisions to make and challenges to overcome for the Clarence Valley Council’s retiring general manager Stuart McPherson.

But when he left his office for the final time yesterday afternoon after six years at the helm, it was with the satisfaction of knowing the organisation was in good shape.

Explaining exactly what makes a good GM is not easy he said.

“The buck does stop here, but leadership is an abstract issue and the exact components haven’t ever been fully explained," he said.

“My perspective of a good GM is someone who understands the temperature of the organisation and has mechanisms to keep checking on that.

“The importance of good people can never be overstated, I have been lucky to always have excellent people here,” he said.

The CVC is in a healthy state, and while he wouldn’t take full credit for this, it was satisfying to see he said.

The organisation’s health is “robust and durable” and lots of elements contribute to this including its “financial well being now and in the future”, as well as staff well-being and output he said.

“Other aspects all indicate things are going well,” he said.

In any government administration there will always be a certain level of people who are dissatisfied, “that is a given,” he said.

“You just have to live with the fact that there will always be people who don’t think they are getting the service they deserve, or that they are paying too much for it.

“It is about managing as well as possible for the majority.”

Mr McPherson believes the Clarence Valley is thriving, and that this growth is not a threat.

Originally published as Clarence Valley in 'good shape'