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Whittlesea by-election date set
New Deputy GM for Narrandera Shire Council
Ex Council worker charged with fraud
External candidate appointed acting CEO of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Council
Wyndham calls out spate of online racism
Baw Baw extends Acting CEO appointment
Update due on Albury CEO
Secret recordings trigger Cairns governance crisis
A by-election to fill a vacancy on Whittlesea City Council has been set for May.
Electoral Commissioner Sven Bluemmel is asking residents and ratepayers in Thomastown Ward to be ready to have their say, following the resignation of Councillor Nicholas James Brooks. The by-election will be held by post.
The roll will close on Wednesday 18 March.
Narrandera Shire Council has appointed Andrew Reynolds as Deputy General Manager of Corporate and Community Services, bringing over 15 years of senior leadership experience in finance, governance, and risk management across local government, not-for-profit, and commercial sectors.
Mr Reynolds, a Chartered Accountant with extensive audit and CFO experience, will commence his role in late February and is expected to strengthen Council’s leadership in both corporate services and community outcomes.
A former NSW council employee has been charged with defrauding three councils of nearly $1.3 million over 12 years by systematically approving fake contractor invoices across the Goulburn Mulwaree, Shoalhaven, and Murrumbidgee council areas.
The 59-year-old man faces 41 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and one count of misconduct in public office, and was refused bail ahead of his court appearance, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Update: Martin Dimec has been named as the individual charged this morning at Parramatta. He is a former design engineer, construction superintendent and infrastructure director, dismissed by Murrumbidgee Council in February 2024.
The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder has voted to appoint an external candidate known as “Candidate A” as acting CEO from January 30 to February 26, while current CEO Andrew Brien extends his personal leave beyond his expected return date.
The appointment was approved 8-1 by councillors despite concerns from one councillor about the lack of information regarding Brien’s status and return timeline.
The Kalgoorlie Miner reported that negotiations are continuing with the successful candidate, as the start date looms.
Wyndham City Council has called out a recent spate of racist comments on its social media platforms.
It said the racist and offensive comments on recent posts are deeply disappointing, and will disable comments on future posts where disrespectful behaviour is anticipated.
Residents have been encouraged to report racism and religious discrimination to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission or the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Baw Baw Shire Council has extended Sally Jones’ appointment as Acting Chief Executive Officer until 30 June 2026 while CEO Tilla Buden focuses on treatment and recovery from breast cancer.
Mayor Cr Kate Wilson said the council remains committed to supporting Tilla as she focuses on her health.
She said Sally had hit the ground running since coming on board in January, and was connecting and collaborating with Tilla during this period.
Albury councillors have spent nearly 90 minutes in a closed session discussing the future of Chief Executive Frank Zaknich, according to the Border Mail.
Mr Zaknich has been on unplanned leave since late last year.
Mayor Kevin Mack said an update on the matter would be provided publicly by the end of the week.
Cairns Mayor Amy Eden’s secret recordings of meetings with council executives and councillors without their consent has triggered a governance crisis.
The Cairns Post reports that councillors are considering a no confidence motion in the mayor.
While the recordings are legal in Queensland, they have caused a breakdown in trust and resulted in cancelled meetings, with the council now facing difficult decisions about whether to include the audio in public records, potentially exposing the Mayor to legal risks either way.
Division Five councillor Rob Pyne said the situation is irreparable and that high-priced solicitors will be “the only winners” from the scandal.