Townsville City Council’s chief executive Prins Ralston resigns

Townsville City Council’s chief executive has resigned two days after the new council had been sworn in.

Townsville City Council CEO Prins Ralston and Mayor Troy Thompson at the swearing in ceremony held on Wednesday. Dr Ralston has resigned. Picture: Evan Morgan

Townsville City Council chief executive Prins Ralston has resigned effective from May 10.

Dr Ralston thanked the council’s team of more than 1800 people for their support and dedication over the past four years.

“It’s been a privilege, leading a team of dedicated, professional and conscientious people, who go above and beyond for the community every day,” Dr Ralston said.

Dr Ralston said he had seen upward growth in extraordinary circumstances and that the city was in a good position to take advantage of such momentum.

The investiture of newly elected Townsville City Councillors at the council chambers. New Townsville City Council Mayor Troy Thompson. Picture: Evan Morgan

Mayor Troy Thompson, who was sworn in on Wednesday, said he thanked Dr Ralston for serving Townsville in the past four years with “great professionalism and dedication.”

Mr Thompson will be responsible for employing Dr Ralston’s replacement. It is the only position within the council directly employed by the mayor.

Dr Ralston took over the role in late 2020, which was available following chief executive Mike Chiodo’s resignation in June that year.

Eber Butron was appointed in an acting capacity while the council used a Queensland based recruitment company u&u.

At the time, former mayor Jenny Hill described Dr Ralston as the “standout” among 105 candidates.

“Dr Ralston has an impressive track record of leading large teams and transforming public and private organisations to deliver improved customer service and boosting financial sustainability,” Ms Hill said when announcing his role.

“He has extensive experience in boardrooms across Australia and the United Kingdom but most importantly he knows and understands Townsville’s challenges and opportunities.”

Under Dr Ralston, Townsville City Council became the first local government in Queensland to complete the White Ribbon Australia Workplace Accreditation Program.

At the time, Dr Ralston described it as a major milestone for the organisation.

“We have a community here in Townsville that is challenged by domestic and family violence and we want to make sure we address those issues,” Dr Ralston said.

He had been the principal of Nous Group, a management consultant who went through the 2016 restructure of Townsville City Council.

He had also been a director of the Gladstone Ports Corporation.

He was born in Sri Lanka and emigrated to the Northern Territory and spent his childhood in Darwin and Nhulunbuy.

Townsville City Council's CEO Dr Prins Ralston. Picture: Alix Sweeney

He has gained numerous qualifications including a doctorate of juridical science, master of laws, and a bachelor of business, and through his career has guided communities through disasters such as the 2011 Brisbane flood, the 2019 Townsville flood, the COVID-19 pandemic, and TC Kirrily.

During the pandemic he worked closely with the North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils to co-ordinate the region’s health, social and economic impacts.

“From a regional point of view (we were) engaging with the state and the federal government to identify what things that we need to get going on, and then setting up that process to respond and to recover,” he said during an interview in 2021.

Dr Ralston recently was profiled by CEO Magazine, in which he said that the Townsville CEO position was an opportunity and a challenge.

He said he saw it was an opportunity to continue the work of his parents and to ensure the North had the same opportunities as everywhere else.

“Things were looking pretty grim for both the city and the region at the time, but I took it on,” he said.

“Now it seems almost a lifetime away from where we started.”

Originally published as Townsville City Council’s chief executive Prins Ralston resigns