Wollongong City Council is looking to bolster its highly-paid executive team by creating a new position worth about $320,000 a year.
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General manager David Farmer has asked councillors to sign off on a change the council’s organisational structure so there are four, instead of the existing three, directors’ roles.
This would take the four council directors’ total remuneration – not including Mr Farmer’s own $410,000 pay packet – to more than $1.1 million each year.
According to the most recent annual report from the council, the existing three directors were paid a total of $816,045.
The extra job – which will initially cost the council $160,000 in salary costs for a half-year trial – would be created by splitting the responsibilities of the corporate and community services director in two, a report by Mr Farmer said.
He said this role, currently filled by acting director Kerry Hunt, had responsibility for six divisions of council.
The other two directors – planning director Andrew Carfield and Greg Doyle (who has been acting as infrastructure and works director for the past six months) have responsibility for three divisions each.
“This is an extremely broad and demanding role and it is difficult for this reason to effectively drive sustainable change at an executive level,” Mr Farmer said.
He suggested creating two new roles – one for corporate services and another for community services – and filling them temporarily until new councillors elected in September can review the new structure.
“There are a number of very capable staff in the organisation who could be considered for these roles,” Mr Farmer said.
He also suggested that Mr Doyle be permanently employed as infrastructure and works director.
In addition to the changes at the top of the council, Mr Farmer foreshadowed that “major organisational change” would be rolled out within the council over the next 12 months “in order to improve the performance of the organisation and provide enhanced community outcomes”.
Councillors were briefed on the new director role at a confidential session on June 5, Mr Farmer said.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
