Recruitment process starts for permanent Lismore Council General Manager

Just under six months and Lismore City Council are expecting to fill the role of general manager with a permanent candidate. Here is what happened in their continuance meeting.

Lismore City Council has voted to start the recruitment process via a selection panel for a permanent general manager.

Current general manager John Walker’s temporary contract expires 8 February 2023.

Issues of fairness in selecting a ‘meritorious’ candidate dominated the debate during the continuance meeting from the previous week.

Lismore councillor Adam Guise said it was concerning that the Mayor intends to have just three of his own manage the recruitment of a permanent general manager.

“This is the same regimen who – after only a few weeks in office – sacked the previous GM at considerable cost to ratepayers to install the current acting GM John Walker.

“All councillors are meant to be the GM’s employer so this is a concerning departure from tradition and due process,” Mr Guise told the Northern Star.

Lismore City Council:Back Row L-R: Peter Colby, Big Rob, Andrew Bing, Vanessa Ekins, Andrew Gordon, Adam Guise Front Row L-R: Elly Bird, Jeri Hall, Steve Krieg, Electra Jensen, Darlene Cook

Council will follow guidelines from the office of local government which states council must adopt a selection panel made up of the Mayor, the deputy Mayor, another councillor and a suitably qualified person independent of council.

A recruitment consultant will then be appointed to run the recruitment process.

Councillor Ekins said that previously all members of council were included in the recruitment of their general manager and it developed trust within the community.

“Having all the councillors on the committee meant there was a lot of trust and we all agreed on the final ten candidates,” Ms Ekins said.

However councillor Gordon objected to a committee approach, stating he was more in favour of the current recommendations and that extra meetings and reviews discredited the former general manager.

Councillor Bird reiterated her colleagues statement that the collective recruitment process benefited councillors as they were kept abreast at all times throughout it.

“There is a lot to be learnt from going through the recruitment process together,” Ms Bird said.

“I also think that this new council does not have the experience to speak to whether or not the previous general manager in that he failed … he was moved on very early in his term … and I refute that statement.

Ms Bird said the whole council approach got in front of any conflict or mistrust as the journey was open and transparent throughout the entire process.

Mayor Steve Krieg agreed with councillors Ekins and Bird stating that trust was important and it was ‘sadly lacking’ in the chamber.

A motion was voted 7/3 in favour of council convening a committee consisting of all interested councillors to start the recruitment process for a general manager.

Council’s governance and customer service manager will seek relevant recruitment agencies to liaise with council for the procurement of a general manager and finally a meeting will be held with council’s recruitment committee and governance and customer service manager to review and select a recruitment provider.