Central Coast Council: New CEO announced as David Farmer

The former boss of Australia’s fastest growing council has been appointed as Central Coast Council’s new chief executive, and he will have a challenge on his hands.

The new CEO of Central Coast Council has been announced. Picture: Mark Scott

The new chief executive officer of Central Coast Council has been announced.

David Farmer is set to lead the council through its financial crisis, bravely accepting the top role as the council continues to tackle one of the biggest financial disasters in local government history.

Mr Farmer, who appeared virtually at the announcement on Tuesday from Queensland, is the former CEO of Ipswich City Council and was selected from a field of 29 applicants.

Mr Farmer said wanted to restore the “great organisation” out of crisis and had a track record in turning councils around. He said he understood the challenge that lay ahead.

Mr Farmer appeared at the announcement from his office at Ipswich. Picture: Sue Graham

“This is not a small problem that we have here,” he said. “It's a problem that won’t be solved straight away, it will take years to try and get this organisation back into really really strong, functional shape.

“Working out what to do is not that hard but it is hard work. This will require a lot of hard work by a lot of people over a long period of time to turn this organisation from one that’s extremely challenged into an organisation that the staff, councillors and community can be proud of.”

He said the financial situation at the council was the most severe he had seen in a large council.

“It’s unprecedented for a large council to have got itself into these circumstances,” he said.

Mr Farmer outlined two immediate priorities starting with the financial situation; working out how council was travelling in the short, medium and long term.

“The second aspect is the staff, there are a couple of thousand people in the organisation who have been through a lot of trauma … losing a lot of their workmates,” he said.

Ipswich CEO David Farmer will take the helm at the Central Coast Council.

“I really do have to work with the staff and take them through the journey. They will be very upset about what has happened.”

He said earning back the trust of the community was critical, however was a long term issue that would start with delivering “today, tomorrow and the next day”.

Administrator Dick Persson AM and the selection panel conducted the final interview for the CEO role on February 24. Mr Persson said there were three highly qualified candidates.

“This appointment is the most important thing I will do here,” he said.

“We were only interested in people that had done the job at this level.”

Dick Persson AM has announced a new CEO.

Mr Persson said the appointment of Mr Farmer and his experience was crucial in leading council toward recovery and will provide strong reassurance to the community that the tough decisions taken now will not be wasted.

“David has had up to 40 years’ experience in Local Government in NSW and Queensland, each of his last three roles have involved major challenges in governance and finance, the same challenges that face this council, and I’m encouraged knowing that David is well equipped in leading the council through these issues,” he said.

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Mr Farmer has been chief executive of four councils over the past 23 years, 10 years at both Cairns and Wollongong City Councils and more recently at Ipswich, the fastest growing council in Queensland.

“David has a proven track record of success in operating large councils and has been selected based on this solid experience,” Mr Persson said.

“The Central Coast community should feel very reassured that a new and strong CEO will deliver the positive outcome everyone wants to see. I look forward to welcoming David to the position on 12 April 2021.”

Former Central Coast Council CEO Gary Murphy. Picture: Sue Graham

Earlier this year, Mr Persson said he had two clear goals before he stepped down – find a CEO and set the budget for 2021/22.

It will be up to NSW Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock to determine whether the suspended councillors return once he finishes his role.

It has been almost five months since news of the council’s crisis broke, with Mr Persson revealing an accumulated debt of $565m over the past four years.

Former CEO Gary Murphy, who previously came from Lismore Council, had his contract terminated in November 2020 after just over two years in the role.

At the time, Mr Persson indicated that “the financial management of the council is not deemed acceptable and as the chief executive officer Mr Murphy had a primary responsibility”.

Mr Farmer will join the council as it continues to put in place strategies to dig itself out of the crisis from property sale assets to staff reductions and the proposed 15 per cent rate rise.

He said he was unsure where he will live on the coast, however was looking forward to the move.