On 23 July 2003 the Minister for Local Government, Tony Kelly, following the release of the report of a public inquiry, headed by Emeritus Professor Maurice Daly, into the conduct and management of Warringah Council which revealed an extensive loss of trust between the council and its community, proclaimed that he had advised the Governor of NSW Marie Bashir to dismiss the council and appoint Persson as the Administrator of the council, with an initial term due to expire on 1 August 2005. [26] [27]
Coming in to administer one of the most complained-about councils in the state, Persson took on the role of transforming the administration of council through implementing good practice and the removal of conflicts of interests in council operations. This included in the matter of planning decisions and conflicts of interests of the former councillors, the extent of which Persson found particularly surprising: "When I arrived here I was given a security card like most of us have nowadays. I thought "Oh, that's for security reasons". I later found out it was to keep councillors out of some parts of the council, because they were literally standing over the shoulder of people reviewing development applications, asking them questions and putting pressure on them, possibly indirectly, certainly clearly." To combat the primary problem of a public lack of trust in the council, in 2003 Persson also appointed Dr John Warburton as the first Internal Ombudsman of the council. [28]
In September 2004, Persson requested that his term as Administrator be extended beyond his initial term, which was scheduled to expire on 1 August 2005, citing a number of important projects yet to be completed and the continuing work establishing a change in culture amongst staff at the council. An extension was approved by the Governor until the Local Government Elections in September 2008, at which point a new council was elected with a new directly-elected mayor, Michael Regan, whose party ticket ran on a platform of council to be 'run as a board of directors'. [29] [30] [31] Immediately before the elections, Persson made the unprecedented step of commenting on political affairs, expressing a desire for individuals involved with the former dismissed council not to stand for election and noted in particular one candidate as having been prominent in the disruptive nature of the previous council and was "the only candidate in Warringah whom I sincerely hope does not get elected." [32]
In the 2006 Australia Day Honours Persson was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for "service to the community, particularly through the development and implementation of new public policy initiatives relating to health, electronic government-wide business and provision of public housing, and to planning and local government." [33]
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
On 27 February 2008 the Minister for Local Government, Paul Lynch, dismissed the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council and appointed Persson as the new administrator. [34] The dismissal of Council was made after the mishandling of a project initiated in 2001 to build a cultural and entertainment centre, known to locals as the Glasshouse. [35] The results of a public inquiry into the matter had reported back to the minister in February 2008 and had found that the Council had failed to provide appropriate financial and project management and had lost control of the costs, that the project costs had harmed the Council's ability to provide services and amenities to the community, and that the Council's "communications management strategies" had resulted in inadequate consultation with the public or appropriate regard to their concerns. [36] Appointed for a four-year term, Minister Lynch noted that Persson had the task of "rebuilding the fundamentals of Council and to help re-unite the local community." [37]
On 20 January 2009, administrator Dick Persson announced his decision to step down at the end of the month, citing the demands of being away from his Sydney home in Bronte for several days a week. He described the Glasshouse project as a "wrong decision" by the Council, attributing it to "woolly thinking with the best of intentions from people not experienced with planning and delivering major capital works." [38] [39] He was replaced in the role by Garry Payne, head of the Department of Local Government. [39]
Later life and career
In 2010–2011 Persson was appointed a Special Adviser on local government rate-setting functions for the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) and in 2009 was appointed a Director of the board of Bridge Housing Limited, a private-sector community housing provider in Sydney, which was renewed in 2011, 2014 and 2017. [40] He retired from the Bridge Housing board in November 2020. [41] On 29 August 2011, the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, Brad Hazzard, appointed Persson to serve as the Chair of the Board of the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and his term lasted until 21 August 2014. [42] [43] Persson is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management (FAIM) and a Fellow of the Australian Property Institute (FAPI). [19]
Northern Beaches Council
In May 2016, with the release of the Local Government (Council Amalgamations) Proclamation 2016, Persson was announced as the Administrator of the new Northern Beaches Council, which comprises the former local government areas of Manly, Pittwater and Warringah. [44] [45] As administrator, Persson directed the implementation of functions of the combined councils into one and noted shortly before the September 2017 election that "I believe the integration of the three previous councils into one Northern Beaches Council is on track to become the benchmark in terms of performance. This is largely due to the skill and hard work of our Council staff and managers." [46] Persson released a report to council in September 2017 entitled "Stronger Together: Administrator's Report to the Community", which detailed the achievements of the new council since the May 2016 proclamation. Persson remained as administrator until the election of the new mayor on 26 September 2017. [47]
In 2019, Persson was appointed by the Minister for Planning, Rob Stokes, to be a member of the Central Sydney Planning Committee, which assesses all development over $50 million in the City of Sydney; the Committee comprises the Lord Mayor, two City of Sydney Councillors, and four people appointed by the Minister with expertise in relevant fields. [3]
Central Coast Council
On 30 October 2020, the Minister for Local Government, Shelley Hancock announced Persson as the new interim Administrator of Central Coast Council for an initial period of three months after the council was suspended following the reveal of an $89 million debt in Council finances and an emergency $6.2 million loan provided by the NSW Government in order for Council to pay its own staff. [48] [49] Persson's appointment was announced with the task of ensuring "greater oversight and control over the council’s budget and expenditure to restore its financial sustainability and importantly reinstill the community’s trust in the effective functioning of their council." [50] Persson was also appointed with Rik Hart on the administration operations team, with whom he had worked on the transformation at Warringah Council as administrator in 2007–2008, with Hart becoming Acting CEO on 3 November 2020. [50] [51]
On 2 December 2020, Persson delivered his first 30-day interim report which revealed "catastrophic budget mismanagement", including accumulated losses of $232 million since 2016, increased debt from $317 million (2016) to $565 million (2020), and an estimated operating loss of $115 million for 2020/2021 financial year, and that several actions were required to put the council in a stronger position, including asset sales of at least $40 million, an increase in rates and council charges, and a substantial reduction in Council staff to 2016 amalgamation levels including a significant reduction in upper and middle management positions.. [52] On 21 January 2021, the Minister for Local Government announced the extension of Persson's term for an additional three months to 29 April 2021, noting: "There is no doubt that [Persson] needs more time to develop and implement his recovery strategy to restore stability and address the significant reputational, financial and organisational issues. In particular, Mr Persson is focusing on recruiting a new general manager and putting a new budget in place for next financial year. Mr Persson and acting general manager Rik Hart have done an outstanding job to date and I thank them for their efforts in these very challenging circumstances." [53]
On 15 April, Persson sent his final report to Minister Hancock expressing his view that "by far the greatest reason CCC became insolvent was due to mismanagement of their budget over the years following the merger and leading up to their suspension" and recommending that the Local Government Minister, "take whatever action necessary to prevent the return of the currently suspended councillors, and to delay the September 2021 election to allow a formal Inquiry to determine what is needed to achieve the successful merger of the two previous Councils." [54] [55] [56] Persson's recommendations were subsequently supported by Shelley Hancock, who on 26 April 2021 announced the convening of a public inquiry and that, as a result, the Council would remain suspended, the elections scheduled for September 2021 would be postponed to September 2022, and Persson's term as administrator would be extended for a further two weeks to May 2021. Former acting CEO Rik Hart was also announced as the next administrator following Persson's decision to step down. [57] [58]
In January 2022, the former CEO of Central Coast Council, Gary Murphy, launched a civil case alleging defamation against Persson in the District Court of New South Wales. [59] Murphy discontinued this case in March 2022. [60]
Related Research Articles
Dame Marie Roslyn Bashir is the former and second longest-serving Governor of New South Wales. Born in Narrandera, New South Wales, Bashir graduated from the University of Sydney in 1956 and held various medical positions, with a particular emphasis in psychiatry. In 1993 Bashir was appointed the Clinical Director of Mental Health Services for the Central Sydney Area Health Service, a position she held until appointed governor on 1 March 2001. She has also served as the Chancellor of the University of Sydney (2007–2012).
Southern Cross University (SCU) is an Australian public university, with campuses at Lismore and Coffs Harbour in northern New South Wales, and at Coolangatta, the most southern suburb of the Gold Coast in Queensland. It is ranked in the top 100 young universities in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
Warringah Council was a local government area in the northern beaches region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It was proclaimed on 7 March 1906 as the Warringah Shire Council, and became "Warringah Council" in 1993. In 1992, Pittwater Council was formed when the former A Riding of Warringah Shire voted to secede. From this point on until amalgamation, Warringah Council administered 152 square kilometres (59 sq mi) of land, including nine beaches and 14 kilometres (9 mi) of coastline. Prior to its abolition it contained 6,000 hectares of natural bushland and open space, with Narrabeen Lagoon marking Warringah's northern boundary and Manly Lagoon marking the southern boundary.
Wyong Shire was a local government area located in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The incorporation of the Wyong area dates back to 7 March 1906 when the entire area of the Brisbane Water Police District outside of the Town of Gosford was proclaimed as the Erina Shire. From 1 January 1947, local government in the Central Coast region was reorganised, creating Gosford Shire and Wyong Shire, which comprised Erina Shire north and east of Kulnura, Central Mangrove and Lisarow.
Shelley Elizabeth Hancock, an Australian politician. Hancock has been a Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly seat of South Coast since 2003.
The New South Wales Ministry of Health, branded NSW Health, is a ministerial department of the New South Wales Government. NSW Health supports the executive and statutory roles of the Minister for Health, the Minister for Regional Health, and the Minister for Mental Health. The Ministry also monitors the performance of state-wide health organisations that collectively make up NSW Health. It is primarily responsible for the public health system in New South Wales, particularly through public hospitals as well as associated agencies and statutory authorities, such as the NSW Ambulance service.
Alexander John McTaggart is an Australian politician who was an independent member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Pittwater between 2005 and 2007. At the time of his election, McTaggart was also the Mayor of Pittwater Council.
Balranald Shire is a local government area in the Riverina area of western New South Wales, Australia on the Sturt Highway. It is the location of World Heritage listed Mungo National Park. It includes the towns of Balranald and Euston. Other localities in the Shire include Kyalite, Hatfield, Penarie, Clare and Oxley.
Bradley Ronald "Brad" Hazzard, an Australian politician, has been the New South Wales Minister for Health since January 2017 in the Berejiklian and Perrottet ministries. Hazzard is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Wakehurst for the Liberal Party since 1991.
In the state of New South Wales, Australia, there are many areas which are commonly known by regional names. Regions are areas that share similar characteristics. These characteristics may be natural such as the Murray River, the coastline, or the Snowy Mountains. Alternatively, the characteristics may be cultural, such as a viticulture land use. New South Wales is divided by numerous regional boundaries, based on different characteristics. In many cases boundaries defined by different agencies are coterminous.
The dismissal of the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council on 27 February 2008 marked the end of a series of events involving a project which was initiated in 2001 in the New South Wales coastal town of Port Macquarie to build a cultural and entertainment centre, known to locals as the Glasshouse. The project, initially a joint venture with the management of the neighbouring shopping centre, Port Central, was originally expected to cost the Council A$7.3 million. However, by late 2007, despite the centre not yet having opened, the costs had blown out to over A$41.7 million, with interest repayments likely to extend the council's liability to A$66 million.
Julie Sutton is a former New South Wales politician and Marriage Celebrant, elected as a Councillor of Warringah Council and was previously Mayor of Warringah from 1995 to 1996 and 2002 to 2003.
Michael Regan is an Australian public servant and local government politician. He served as Mayor of Warringah Council from 13 September 2008, until May 2016 following its amalgamation into the newly proclaimed Northern Beaches Council. In September 2017, Regan was elected as the first Mayor of Northern Beaches Council.
The Minister for Local Government is a minister in the New South Wales Government and has responsibilities which includes all local government areas and related legislation in New South Wales, the most primary of which is the Local Government Act 1993. The minister administers the portfolio through the Planning and Environment cluster, in particular through the Department of Planning and Environment, the Office of Local Government, and a range of other government agencies.
Matraville Sports High School is a government co-educational comprehensive and specialist secondary school, with speciality in sports, located on Anzac Parade, Chifley, an eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The Mackellar County Council (MCC) was a state–owned enterprise of the Government of New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1951, it was an electricity and gas supplier and retailer which primarily supplied the Northern Beaches area of Sydney, New South Wales, being jointly managed and operated by Manly Municipal Council and Warringah Shire Council.
The Northern Beaches Council is a local government area located in the Northern Beaches region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The council was formed on 12 May 2016 after the amalgamation of Manly, Pittwater and Warringah Councils.
The Central Coast Council is a local government area in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The area is adjacent to the Pacific Highway and Central Coast Highway as well as the main Northern NSW railway line and the Pacific Ocean. Gosford is the gateway and hub of the Central Coast, the Central Coast has over 40 beaches and over 90km of coastline. The Central Coast Council was established on 12 May 2016 following the amalgamation of Gosford City and Wyong Shire councils.
Jean Frances Hay is an Australian local government politician. She served as the Mayor of Manly Council from 1999 to 2004 and was the last mayor of Manly from 8 September 2008 to 12 May 2016, following Manly's amalgamation into the new Northern Beaches Council.
The COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The first confirmed case in New South Wales was identified on 19 January 2020 in Sydney where three travellers returning from Wuhan, Hubei, China, tested positive for the virus.
References
- ↑ "Marie Persson - Australian Training Awards". Australian Training Awards. National Careers Institute, Australian Government. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ↑ "Ms Marie Persson - Board Members". NSW Skills Board. Training Services NSW, NSW Government. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- 1 2 "Committee details - Central Sydney Planning Committee". City of Sydney. Council of the City of Sydney. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
- ↑ Sykes, Jill (20 November 1974). "The Inside Column - Warming Up". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 7.
- ↑ Harper, Catherine (14 May 1979). "New shot in Caucus battle - ALP Group threatens to deny support". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 8.
- ↑ Perkins, Kevin (8 May 1983). "On the Inside - New Persson?". The Sun-Herald. p. 144.
- ↑ "APPOINTMENTS ON PROBATION". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 13. New South Wales, Australia. 27 January 1984. p. 464. Retrieved 20 September 2017– via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "PUBLIC SERVICE ACT APPOINTMENTS". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 132. New South Wales, Australia. 14 August 1987. p. 4647. Retrieved 20 September 2017– via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "New adviser 'Labor mate'". The Canberra Times . Vol. 63, no. 19, 490. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 16 February 1989. p. 10. Retrieved 13 March 2018– via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ Garran, Robert (15 March 1989). "Libs looking at housing allowance plan". The Age. p. 17.
- ↑ "Walker Ally". The Sun-Herald. 17 December 1989. p. 50.
- ↑ "Nationals set stage for further recriminations". The Canberra Times. Vol. 64, no. 19, 794. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 18 December 1989. p. 9. Retrieved 13 March 2018– via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Interview: Terry Hogan" (audio). Queensland Speaks. Centre for the Government of Queensland. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ "Interview: Terry Mackenroth" (audio). Queensland Speaks. Centre for the Government of Queensland. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ Wanna, John (1994). "Political Chronicles - Queensland" (PDF). Australian Journal of Politics and History. University of Queensland Press. 40 (3): 392.
- ↑ "Health chief 'has no experience'". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 19 June 1994. p. 2. Retrieved 13 March 2018– via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Bias claim against Qld AMA". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 20 June 1994. p. 5. Retrieved 13 March 2018– via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "PUBLIC SECTOR NOTICES PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT ACT 1988 SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE APPOINTMENTS". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales . No. 132. New South Wales, Australia. 27 October 1995. p. 7565. Retrieved 20 September 2017– via National Library of Australia.
- 1 2 "Directors - Bridge Housing: Dick Persson AM, Director". Bridge Housing Ltd. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ↑ "The Women's College Magazine". The Women's College, University of Sydney. Autumn 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ Dempster, Quentin (March 2005). "Media rules in the court of Carr". Webs of Power. Griffith Review. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ "Department of Public Works and Services". NSW State Records. NSW Government. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ "Annual Report 2004". HealthQuest NSW. 1 September 2004. Archived from the original on 20 October 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ↑ "2004/2005 Annual Report". HealthQuest NSW. 12 September 2005. Archived from the original on 19 October 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ↑ "Health Services Amendment (Dissolution of HealthQuest) Order 2009". Legislation.nsw.gov.au. NSW Government. 17 June 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ↑ "NSW Government Gazette No 115 of 23 July 2003" (PDF). Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ O'Rourke, Claire; Davies, Anne (25 July 2003). "Councils deny interest conflicts". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ Dempster, Quentin (11 February 2005). "Councils Crisis" (Audio transcript). ABC Stateline NSW. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ "New South Wales Department of Local Government 2005-2006 Annual Report" (PDF). Department of Local Government. 21 November 2006. p. 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 17 August 2008.
- ↑ "Policies". Wake Up Warringah. 2008. Archived from the original on 8 September 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ Green, Antony. "Warringah Council". 2008 NSW Local Council Elections. ABC Elections. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ West, Andrew; Creagh, Sunanda (10 September 2008). "Mayoral candidate under fire". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ↑ "PERSSON, Richard - Member of the Order of Australia". It's an Honour database. Australian Government. 26 January 2006. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ "NSW Government Gazette No 25 of 27 February 2008" (PDF). p. 1251. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ "Council sacked over cost blow-out". ABC News. Australia. 27 February 2008. Retrieved 27 February 2008.
- ↑ Willan, Frank. Port Macquarie-Hastings Council - Public Inquiry - Inquiry Report Volume 1. Government of New South Wales. ISBN 1-920766-69-3.
- ↑ "COUNCIL SACKED". Port News. 27 February 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ "Port Macquarie administrator to quit". ABC News. Australia. 21 January 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
- 1 2 "Dick says he's done". Port Macquarie News. 21 January 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
- ↑ "Election of Directors - Briefing Note" (PDF). Bridge Housing Limited. 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ "2020 AGM outlines Bridge Housing successes and challenges" (Media Release). Bridge Housing. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ↑ "Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority Annual Report 2010 –11" (PDF). Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority. NSW Government. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ NSW Government Gazette No 110 of 6 September 2013, p. 3954.
- ↑ Morcombe, John (12 May 2016). "One northern beaches council will be created under amalgamation plans". The Manly Daily. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
- ↑ "Page 25 Local Government (Council Amalgamations) Proclamation 2016 [NSW] - Schedule 13 - Provisions for Northern Beaches Council" (PDF). Parliament of New South Wales. 2012. p. 25. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
- ↑ "Administrator's Message". Northern Beaches Council. 2 September 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
- ↑ "Stronger Together: Administrator's Report to the Community" (PDF). Northern Beaches Council. 2 September 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
- ↑ Hancock, Shelley (21 October 2020). "Central Coast Council facing suspension". Office of Local Government NSW. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ↑ Kontominas, Bellinda (30 October 2020). "NSW Government suspends Central Coast Council, appoints administrator over $89 million debt". ABC News. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- 1 2 Hancock, Shelley (30 October 2020). "Central Coast Council suspended". Office of Local Government NSW. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ↑ Murray, Sue (4 November 2020). "Rik Hart appointed acting CEO of Central Coast Council". Coast Community News. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ↑ Persson, Dick (2 December 2020). "Administrator's30 Day Interim Report" (PDF). Central Coast Council. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ↑ Hancock, Shelley (25 January 2021). "Central Coast Council suspension extended" (Media Release). Office of Local Government. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ↑ Persson, Dick (15 April 2021). "Administrator's Final Report" (PDF). Central Coast Council. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ↑ Hancock, Shelley (15 April 2021). "Central Coast Council interim administrator's final report" (Media Release). Office of Local Government. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ↑ Wainwright, Sofie; Simkin, Emma (15 April 2021). "Central Coast Council administrator recommends NSW government prevent councillors' return". ABC Central Coast. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ↑ Hancock, Shelley (26 April 2021). "Public Inquiry into Central Coast Council" (Media Release). Office of Local Government.
- ↑ Vince, Mary-Louise; Farquhar, Liz (26 April 2021). "Minister announces inquiry into Central Coast Council's $200m budget blowout". ABC News. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ↑ "Breaking news: Council's former CEO takes defamation action against Interim Administrator". Coast Community News. 22 January 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
- ↑ "Former Council CEO drops defamation case". Coast Community News. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
External links
Dick Persson | |
|---|---|
| Administrator of Central Coast Council | |
| In office 30 October 2020 –13 May 2021 |