Power brokers having their say on Geelong council
These people are inside the power structure pulling strings of the City of Greater Geelong council. Their actions will have a lasting legacy.
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These are the people inside the power structure pulling strings of the City of Greater Geelong council.
As a group their responsibilities range from allaying concerns about governance within City Hall, overseeing council services, boosting staff morale and keep it in check.
As Geelong is faced with an explosion in population in coming decades, the actions of these people will have a lasting legacy.
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Kaarina Phyland - acting CEO council
A reputation for being a hard-nosed operator willing to make unpopular calls to reshape the organisation.
Faced with a council, described as “top heavy”, many say her laser-like focus on keeping council profitable has seen services which deliver social value torpedoed.
Ms Phyland, who holds a commerce degree and who grew up in Far North Queensland, has experience across the manufacturing, government, rail, airline and tertiary education sectors.
Ms Phyland didn’t apply to be council’s permanent chief executive, and will return to be council’s strategy, governance and corporate director when a permanent chief executive is found.
Darren Schultz - chief financial officer council
The money man and experienced finance operator joined council recently in what’s been viewed as a coup.
The Victoria University graduate brings experience from working at big 4 accounting firm Ernst & Young, investment giant JPMorgan, and property investor ISPT.
One of his first tasks on council was to oversee delivery of the 2023-24 budget which has been a delicate balance of delivering for the community and cutting back.
He and others have the unenviable task of finding $7m in savings to keep council on an even keel.
Judy Barnesby - Council’s IR guru
A confidant of Kaarina Phyland after both worked at RMIT University, Ms Barnesby has a reputation for her assertive style at council.
The one-time council manager of policy and workplace relations, sources have told the Addy Ms Barnesby has had some involvement with the ongoing restructure of council departments.
She’s also advocated for council with members of the community when council funding decisions have been heavily criticised.
Her Linkedin page notes she has “extensive” industrial relations and employment relations expertise across EBA management, dispute resolution and cultural change.
Melissa Horne - Local Government Minister
The future of the city in her hands because she’s got the power to sack councillors.
It’s a move, that when asked recently in state parliament, she did not rule out.
“Let us just wait. I am having periodic updates from the monitors ... who are really confident in the process of appointing a CEO. They are saying ‘that is what really needs to happen before any other decisions are made’.”
Ms Horne has enjoyed a swift rise within the Andrews’ government after being elected to parliament in 2018, the year she also gained ministerial responsibility.
She is also minister for casino, gaming and liquor regulation, roads and road safety and ports and freight.
Prue Digby - government appointed monitor
Her remit includes providing advice to the local government minister which will be used to determine if Geelong council’s need to be sacked.
While the decision hasn’t been made yet, Ms Digby will draw on her 35 years of experience across Victorian state, local government and not-for-profit sectors to provide the advice to the minister.
Appointed to oversee Geelong council in January this year, she has previously kept an eye on South Gippsland Shire Council between 2021 and 2022, and the Frankston council in 2017.
Her job, on behalf of the state government, includes keeping an eye on the process run by Geelong council to appoint a permanent chief executive; the employment conditions of the successful candidate; the CEO’s relationship with councillors; and decision making within the city.
Ms Digby is a former chief executive of the Victorian Building Authority and Yarra council, and worked as a senior manager at Melbourne council.
Peter Dorling - government appointed monitor
An administrator for the City of Greater Geelong council between 2016 and 2018 following the sacking of the Darryn Lyons-led councillor group.
Also a monitor of Geelong council from November 2017 to October 2020.
His remit this time around, since his appointment in January, is to advise, and provide assistance and support, to the council in relation improving governance.
Trent Sullivan - council mayor
Polished public operator in the past but has come under increasing scrutiny of late because of council’s draft budget.
Mayor since November he’s been a Geelong councillor since 2017.
The pressure of intense scrutiny seemed to come out in his comments this week when he responded to the city’s budget and councillors’ involvement with it.
“I wanted to thank my councillors around me; they’re good people, they’re community people just like you, and they put their hands up to help. They gain nothing personally out of this,” Mr Sullivan said.
“We’d rather be operating under much more favourable economic circumstances but each dollar is precious, and each dollar in this budget is being squeezed to get the best value that it can.
“I also want to thank my acting CEO, Kaarina Phyland. There is a lot going on in the organisation; anyone can man the helm during fair weather but to guide a ship during stormy seas is no easy path.”
Anthony Aitken - deputy mayor council
Financially minded because of his day job balancing the books at a Geelong school and because he hold a Masters of Accounting, Aitken spoke out in March about the pressure on council to build infrastructure needed for Commonwealth Games.
A passionate advocate for the city’s north he’s been a driving force behind the $61m Norlane Aquatic and Community Hub.
A councillor with the City of Greater Geelong since 2017, he’s been deputy mayor since November.
Ali Wastie - Incoming chief executive
Local government veteran Ali Wastie, who holds a Masters of Diplomacy, is due to start as the City of Greater Geelong Council’s permanent chief executive on August 28.
Her experience includes more than eight years as manager and director of economic and community development at Yarra Ranges Council, about six months as a director at the City of Melbourne Council; and six months as a senior policy advisor at the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office.
And it will be needed given significant pressure on council at the moment.
Fixing staff morale, overseeing a contentious digital transformation project and finding $7.1m of savings are some of the tasks on her to do list.
Christine Couzens - Geelong MP
Has called on the state government to consider sacking Geelong councillors.
The three-term MP, with strong ties to the union movement in Geelong as former executive member of Geelong Trades Hall, has been a keen observer at public protests to gauge the mood of the community in response to council’s budget.
She said she was worried that staffing structures at council will make it difficult to deliver for the community.
Originally published as Power brokers having their say on Geelong council
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