THE State Government will appoint a Governance Advisor to Redland City Council from mid-December to the end of May in a move aimed at addressing deepening concerns about governance, conduct and stability at the city’s top level.
The advisor, to be appointed through a formal procurement process, will operate under Terms of Reference issued by the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers.
The role is not that of an administrator or mediator, but an independent expert appointed under section 117 of the Local Government Act to provide targeted support to the Council.
The advisor will report to the Department’s Director-General and offer independent advice on how best to support the Council, while also providing guidance to the mayor and councillors on matters such as effective leadership, communication processes, cohesive decision-making, appropriate social media use and the wellbeing of elected representatives.
They will be based part-time within Council, with the cost of the appointment to be met by Council.
Mayor Jos Mitchell was privately briefed for an hour by Director-General Bronwyn Blagoev ahead of councillors being told of the appointment on Monday.
One councillor said the Mayor “routinely did not attend councillor briefings in person because she has created the narrative that she doesn’t attend workshops in person because she doesn’t ‘feel safe’.”
Despite the tensions, Mayor Mitchell used a video statement on Monday to strongly welcome the State Government intervention.
“Today, the direct general of the Department of Local government visited Redland City Council to announce the appointment of a governance advisor. Now, this is a move I wholeheartedly support,” she said.
“It goes hand in hand with providing other support, such as mediation services to councillors. That’s all councillors.
“So, while this is being framed as an adversarial approach, it is not, and it is something that I’ve personally sought out and made a request earlier this year and have raised it. I also requested mediation as well.
“This process, I hope, will benefit our council, our councillors, and the whole community who want to see a functioning council properly serving our community.”
Mayor Mitchell said the appointment aligned with broader reform efforts she had been advocating.
“And if you’ve been following along, you’ll see this is also part of the process that I wholeheartedly endorse. I have sought a whole council review that was hotly debated, but eventually it got over the line, six votes to five,” she said.
“I have also sought audits, most recently in relation to the Heinemann Road Project, which has taken eight years. That was not successful through council. But I am hoping that this step, the appointment of the governance advisor to council, will be a positive step, as I said, for our community as a whole.”
The State Government regularly appoints advisors to councils facing governance challenges.
In September 2024, a similar advisor was appointed to Townsville City Council.
Locally, instability has been mounting.
Last month, Redland City Council’s General Manager of Organisational Services, Amanda Pafumi, resigned — the eighth senior staff member to depart in just 16 months.
Mayor Mitchell is due to hand over the reins to Deputy Mayor Julie Talty later today as she takes four days’ personal leave following a family bereavement.
Under Queensland law, councils must comply with the appointed advisor, whose role is to ensure the council fulfils its responsibilities and restores effective governance.
