Longreach Regional Council begins search for new Chief Executive Officer
Longreach Regional Council Mayor Tony Rayner has paid tribute to outgoing Chief Executive Officer Mitchell Murphy as the organisation starts the search for a replacement.
With Mr Murphy stepping down to take on the role of General Manager at Hunters Hill Council in metropolitan Sydney, Council is commencing what it expects to be a far-reaching recruitment process. Mayor Rayner said Mr Murphy has made a significant impact during his tenure.
“Mitchell has been a transformative leader for Council and our team. He’s achieved significant improvements to our operational efficiency, assembled a highly capable and talented team underneath him, and taken our advocacy with government to the next level.
“Under his leadership we’ve significantly improved our cash position and our success with government funding. We’re really grateful to him for everything he’s done for Council – our loss will certainly be Hunters Hill’s gain. He’s going to be missed.”
He said Council would be searching far and wide to find the right person to take on the role.
“We’re deliberately casting a wide net in our search for the next person to take us forward” he said. “We’ll also be taking the appropriate amount of time for such an important decision, so we’ll be looking to appoint an interim CEO while we conduct a thorough process to make a permanent appointment.
“There are a few things that we think are important which we’ll be looking for in the new person. For example, we’re preparing our Budget for 2022/2023 and that will be one of the first things the new person implements, so a sound understanding of the sector and its financial challenges will be essential.
“It’s also important that whoever takes over has the people skills to extend our positive culture and engage effectively with our workforce and the community.”
Mr Murphy said he was proud of the accomplishments of his team during his tenure.
“It is a demanding role and I want to sincerely thank my staff for their efforts and support during my time at Longreach. We have highly capable employees who genuinely care about our townships.
“Western Queensland Councils punch above their weight in regards to finances and resources. Team work and shared purpose has delivered a strong financial performance during my tenure and we now have a strong focus on advocacy to obtain funding beyond our own source revenue.”
He said spearheading the Thomson River Master Plan stood out as one of his proudest achievements.
“This project is the game changer to enhance liveability for locals and boost tourism numbers. With funding support from both the Federal Government and State Government, it can be the South Bank of the Outback.”
Mr Murphy said he would miss his colleagues and the community.
“I have made many dear life-long friends here and my time in the outback has afforded me some special memories. While I’m excited about the opportunity at Hunter’s Hill, I genuinely wish Longreach Regional Council and our residents all the very best for the future.”
The position will be posted at longreach.qld.gov.au/careers once a recruitment agency has been appointed. For more information contact Council on (07) 4658 4111.