Horsham Rural City Council has welcomed Kim Hargreaves as its new Corporate Services Director.
Ms Hargreaves’s appointment follows predecessor Graeme Harrison’s move to a new position as head of the region’s Rural Councils Corporate Collaboration (RCCC) project.
Chief Executive Officer Sunil Bhalla said Ms Hargreaves brought strong experience to the municipality.
“Kim joins us from Queensland and I’d like to welcome her to our organisation,” Mr Bhalla said.
“Her strong government experience will be an asset in providing the best value for our ratepayers and keeping HRCC in a strong financial position into the future.
“Her experience in senior executive roles makes her a good fit for the role. Kim is really keen to get out and meet our terrific staff who provide vital services for our community,” he said.
Mr Bhalla thanked Mr Harrison for his dedication and commitment to his role as Director Corporate Services at Horsham Rural City Council since November 2012.
“Graeme has an outstanding work ethic and sets high standards. He has always modelled an extremely ethical and principled approach to duties, which is vital in public service,” Mr Bhalla said.
“He has been reliable, knowledgeable, informed, enquiring and passionate about his role and the wider work that HRCC undertakes. He has encouraged others to share his values, with the end result being many significant improvements to our corporate and administrative processes under his leadership in that area.
“Most recently, his role in implementing the requirements of the new Local Government Act 2020 has been instrumental in ensuring HRCC’s timely compliance,” he said.
Mr Harrison’s new title is RCCC Project Implementation Director.
The partnership will see Horsham join forces with Hindmarsh and Loddon Shire Councils to share core business technology and resources such as finance, payroll and procurement platforms.
The three Wimmera Councils have collectively received $5 million though the Victorian Government’s Rural Councils Transformation Program.
“These systems will create a shared platform opening the way for better collaboration between the Councils ultimately improving the service to our communities,” Mr Bhalla said.
“By partnering with Loddon and Hindmarsh, we will improve our depth of knowledge, improve resilience and further strengthen our relationship with neighbouring councils.”
