Toowoomba council CEO Brian Pidgeon faces scrutiny over leadership as contract vote looms

The Toowoomba council’s chief executive is facing fresh scrutiny over organisational culture as the number of councillors looking for a change in leadership grows following the election.

CEO Brian Pidgeon (left) and Cr Geoff McDonald before the Toowoomba Regional Council special meeting to select a new mayor, Friday, July 21, 2023. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The future of Toowoomba Regional Council chief executive Brian Pidgeon’s tenure is in doubt as fresh concerns about the organisation’s work culture were again raised.

Mr Pidgeon, who is currently one of the longest-serving active council CEOs in Queensland and has been in the role since 2013, will see his contract up for renewal next year.

Key stakeholders both inside and outside the council have suggested the leadership at the TRC has stagnated, with others questioning the lack of long-term planning around the imminent Cressbrook Dam safety upgrade as the organisation pleads for state and federal funding assistance in the 11th hour.

If the Toowoomba council doesn’t receive significant funding, it threatens to push the organisation’s debt levels to $300 million.

Mr Pidgeon’s contract was renewed in 2022 despite a push by four councillors — now-deputy mayor Rebecca Vonhoff, Bill Cahill, then-councillor Nancy Sommerfield and Melissa Taylor — to oust him.

While Ms Sommerfield has since retired from local government, new councillors Trevor Manteufel and Gary Gardner have indicated a desire for leadership change.

This puts the number of potential councillors seeking a new chief executive at five, or nearly half the boardroom.

It comes as multiple council insiders slammed Mr Pidgeon’s leadership after it was revealed senior TRC officers had been heard using “misogynistic slurs” to describe certain female councillors.

Another person said the council was not a safe place to report instances of bullying or harassment.

In a statement, Mr Pidgeon said he and the leadership team was committed to improving the organisation’s culture.

“Council has no tolerance for any improper behaviour and encourages staff to report incidents to allow matters to be investigated,” he said.

“Council aims to continuously improve the organisation’s culture and performance for the

betterment of its staff and in turn, the broader community.

“Council will continue to listen to regular feedback from its employees and invest in programs that make council an employer of choice.”

Toowoomba City Hall

Claims of bullying and harassment at the Toowoomba Regional Council stretch back years, with a staff survey from 2021 revealing hundreds of instances were going unreported.

The council has since implemented changes to try to rectify the numbers, including new bullying and harassment policies, annual refreshers on the code of conduct, more anti-bullying training programs and new team development initiatives.

The most recent staff pulse survey results have reportedly showed some departments improving dramatically with other stagnating.

“There was an improvement in employee engagement in the recent pulse survey, which 

predominantly tracks employee engagement,” Mr Pidgeon said. 

“A very high proportion of employees report they know how to report workplace concerns. “Staff have multiple and confidential channels for reporting any issue.

“Council’s leadership continues to highlight these channels and the various ways to report issues, particularly instances of bullying or any forms of harassment.”

TRC CEO Brian Pidgeon. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Mr Pidgeon is also responsible every month for disclosing which discipline, grievance, industrial, medical, performance and investigation cases have been closed or opened.

As of March there were still 21 open cases, with more than 50 closed during the month.

But opinion on Mr Pidgeon’s performance is divided, with one councillor throwing their support behind him.

“He’s a good bloke and a competent CEO — it’s better the devil you know,” they said.

“From my experience, he’s always done a good job and I’m not one of those who might think his time has come.”