Chief Financial Officer Richard Mooney resigns from Wingecarribee Shire Council amid staff shake-up

One of the last remaining senior executives who worked closely with the now-suspended councillors has resigned amid personnel overhauls at Wingecarribee Shire Council.

One of the last remaining senior staff to work closely with the now-suspended councillors has tendered his resignation this week, the council has confirmed.

Chief Financial Officer Richard Mooney has resigned from his senior position after six years at the Wingecarribee Shire Council. Mr Mooney was one of the last remaining senior staff who had worked closely with the councillors after Interim Administrator Viv May called for a “refresh of the executive”.

The refresh began in April when Acting General Manager Barry Paull and Deputy General Manager of Corporate, Strategy and Development Service Mark Pepping both resigned effective immediately. Since the suspension of council in March, eight senior staff have left the organisation.

Chief Financial Officer of Wingecarribee Shire Council Richard Mooney has resigned. Picture: Wingecarribee Shire Council.

Suspended mayor Duncan Gair said Mr Mooney’s resignation represented a huge loss to the community.

“He was an extremely good financial manager and he joins a long list of highly qualified personnel that have either resigned or are leaving the organisation as soon as they can,” he said.

Mr Gair said Mr May’s sweeping changes to senior council staff will not benefit the community in the long term.

“The loss of other senior staff has yet to be realised with over 100 years of experience and knowledge that has left the shire,” he said.

“I think there will be a day of reckoning with that loss.”

The resignation of the Chief Financial Officer was revealed just days after three new executives were appointed to the newly-restructured council. At the Extraordinary General Meeting on Monday afternoon, Mr May announced Mr Geoff King as Director Communities and Place, Ms Carmel Foster as Director Corporate Strategy and Resourcing and Ms Karin Targa as Director Service Delivery and Projects.

Richard Mooney was Chief Financial Officer at Wingecarribee Shire Council.

Suspended councillor Ian Scandrett said he had questioned Mr Mooney’s reappointment as Chief Financial Officer after he left the council in May 2019.

“A lot of questions were raised but not answered when Mr Mooney left to join Wollondily council but came back three days later supposedly at the behest of the then general manager Ann Prendergast,” he said.

Mr Scandrett suggests there may be further resignations before the end of Mr May’s term, which is due to conclude on September 10.

“I would fully expect there are further departures to come as the long overdue resetting of council takes place,” he said.