Dubbo Regional Council’s (DRC) CEO Murray Wood will table a new senior staff structure tonight at the March Ordinary Council Meeting. The proposed new senior staff structure has a strong focus on improved engagement with the community and involves a rethink regarding strategic delivery of Council services, now and well into the future.
The development of the new structure is a legislative requirement under the Local Government Act which requires Councils and the CEO (General Manager) to review and determine a structure of the organisation within 12 months from the formation of a new Council. Mr Wood said although it is a legal requirement he believes DRC is due for a ‘reset’, particularly given the major growth and expansion across the region in multiple sectors, all of which has an effect on Council services. “There is no denying our Council and our community have been through a lot of uncertainty in recent years, and a result we have identified a disconnect between the organisation and the people we proudly serve,” said Mr Wood. “Our team at DRC have a history of being resilient and dedicated to their community, but with a change of leadership, both in my role as CEO and at a Council level, there is an opportunity to pause, and realign our focus in order to deliver our essential services to the best of our ability.”
DRC as an organisation will continue to run with five Directors, however it is proposed the divisions will change. Notably there is a new proposed Strategy, Engagement and Partnerships Division that will focus on community and customer engagement, improving relationships with our stakeholders and strategic project/service delivery. Mr Wood said it is important to put community first, “My aim with creating this new division is to ensure that our residents, businesses owners, community groups and the like are at the forefront of every decision Council makes, whether that be at a Councillor level or operationally.”
Mr Wood was appointed to the permanent CEO role on 4 October 2021, since then, a lot of time has been invested into working and engaging with staff, community groups and outside consultants to arrive at this new structure.
“My senior staff and I have done a lot behind the scenes to get this right,” said Mr Wood. “We have used staff surveys and worked with industry-leading advisories to inform, develop and design the new structure. From this work, we could clearly see the shared vision and sentiment across staff, senior leadership and our newly elected body.”
“The consistent takeaway is that we want to improve and invest in the relationship we have with our community – externally and internally. We want to provide the best service for our community so as to make the region we all work, rest and play in an enjoyable place to live in,” said Mr Wood.
The senior staff structure will be deliberated at the March Ordinary Council Meeting, tonight Thursday 24 March, 5:30pm. The proposed structure can be viewed online at www.dubbo.nsw.gov.au/councilmeetings
