By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Greater Dandenong Council’s senior executive ranks are set for dramatic change.
Twelve months into the job, chief executive Jacqui Weatherill is poised to restructure the council with several directors expected to move on.
Already out is former Business, Engineering and Major Projects director Paul Kearsley, who’s been recently hired as an environmental approvals manager at Biosys.
His former portfolio is set to be merged with City Planning, Design and Amenity – with its long-serving director Jody Bosman indicating that he wishes to soon retire.
The council’s Corporate Services department is also set to have a new director.
Currently it is jointly run by executive managers Kylie Sprague and Michelle Hansen.
City improvement manager Craig Cinquegrana is also said to be leaving.
Councillor Jim Memeti said councillors had desired a revamp, having hired Weatherill to look at the council with “fresh eyes” and “make changes accordingly”.
He said the overall loss of one director through merging of Engineering and Planning would result in savings.
Some of the new department’s responsibilities will be shifted to Strengthening Communities director Peta Gillies – a Weatherill recruit who had done a “great job”, Cr Memeti said.
Cr Memeti said Gillies’ workload will be lightened somewhat with the council expected to outsource aged care and disability services – a move which was recently out for public consultation.
Cr Tim Dark said the restructure was similar to what Weatherill headed in her previous stint at Stonnington Council.
He had “significant concerns” that Greater Dandenong would be paying a “massive liability” for new directors’ transferred entitlements from other councils – such as long service leave and sick leave payments.
Cr Dark said there was a big push from councillors to review the current administration to ensure “we were getting the best value”.
He cited concerns about major project cost and time blow-outs such as Keysborough South Community Hub and Dandenong New Art gallery.
The extra “multi-multi millions” end up stopping the council from other capital works like new pavilions.
Meanwhile, the mayoral election is said to have flared up into a bitterly-contested “mess”, with no signs of a clear-cut victor.
Labor councillors Lana Formoso and Sophie Tan are contesting the mayoralty – which is elected by the 11 Greater Dandenong councillors next month.
With colleagues Eden Foster and Rhonda Garad on leave to contest the Mulgrave by-election, there’s doubt whether Crs Formoso or Tan will get the necessary six votes.
It may boil down to drawing a name out of the hat.
Cr Memeti says it may come down to Liberal-supporting councillor Tim Dark’s vote.
Cr Dark was non-committal, citing much “nastiness” behind the scenes and spilling out into an “embarrassing” public argument at a Municipal Association of Victoria event.
“It’s hard to decide on the best person to back, especially given that person is to be leading the council while the economy is on shaky ground.
“We really need a united team, but it’s just internal Labor Party brawling.”
Cr Memeti said “you’re always going to have people worked up in a mayoral election”.
“Ask any of the 11 councillors if they want to be mayor, every one of them would say ‘yes’.”
