REDLAND City Council’s six-month governance advisor appointment has officially come to an end with the State Government saying the mayor’s prolonged absence prevented the review from achieving as much as hoped.
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 Jos 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.
“Now, the council has a clear set of recommendations and a practical foundation to improve governance and performance.
“The department expects the council to take these recommendations forward and remains committed to supporting its efforts to deliver better outcomes for the Redland community.”
Mr Rose said his focus throughout the engagement had been on helping council strengthen its governance and better serve the community.
“It has been a privilege to work with Redland City Council and the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers to help build council’s capacity to better serve its community,” he said.
“The councillors and staff have demonstrated a commitment to improving their operations and serving the people of Redland.”
The governance advisor was appointed at the request of Redland City Council to help improve governance and service delivery.
His work included clarifying roles and responsibilities under the Local Government Act, providing guidance to councillors and staff, and advising the department on future support for the council.
The department said it would continue supporting Redland City Council as it implements the advisor’s recommendations and works to improve governance and service delivery.
