THE State Government says Mayor Jos Mitchell’s prolonged absence prevented its governance advisor from achieving as much as hoped during a six-month appointment aimed at improving governance, leadership and
decision-making.
The Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers announced on Friday that Governance Advisor Chris Rose had completed his appointment after delivering a series of recommendations aimed at strengthening governance, improving decision-making and building better relationships across Council.
The Department said the recommendations, together with a recent Deloitte Consulting review into Council operations, provided a practical roadmap to improve governance and efficiency.
However, it said Mayor Mitchell’s extended absence for a significant portion of the appointment limited what could be achieved.
Department Director-General Bronwyn Blagoev said Mr Rose had provided independent advice to strengthen Council governance but acknowledged the challenges created by the Mayor’s absence.
“Chris Rose has provided practical, independent advice to support stronger governance and more effective decision-making at Redland City Council,” Ms Blagoev said.
“However, the Mayor’s prolonged absence meant that key opportunities to address critical governance challenges and foster stronger leadership were missed.
“The Mayor plays a vital role in setting the tone for Council operations and supporting cohesion among councillors.
“Without that leadership, it has been difficult to fully capitalise on the Advisor’s engagement and achieve the level of progress we had hoped for.”
Despite those challenges, the department said Council’s administration had continued to perform well, with councillors and staff maintaining service delivery throughout the engagement.
Ms Blagoev praised councillors and staff for working collaboratively while the governance review was underway.
“Redland City Council has demonstrated its ability to deliver for its community, with councillors and staff working together to ensure services continued uninterrupted,” she said.
