A MILDURA councillor has made an impassioned plea for his fellow community representatives to back a local for the council’s top job.
Cr Liam Wood said there needed to be “greater” weighting for a “top-notch” local candidate in the next council chief executive recruitment process, similar to how it works for tendering for projects.
His call yesterday came after the controversial snubbing of well-credentialed local tourism chief Brett Millington for the council’s CEO role in a vote last week.
Sources say Mr Millington was the last standing preferred candidate as Mildura’s local government boss after a Queensland-based candidate withdrew his application late in the process.
While he did not name Mr Millington, who has been instrumental in lifting Mildura’s profile on the national stage, Cr Wood said the council should be looking to elevate the next crop of “fantastic home-grown talent”.
“As is required, I won’t comment on what discussions took place at the confidential meeting (last Thursday),” Cr Wood said.
“However, on the wider issue of local leadership I will say this: You can always learn policies, protocols and procedures.
“It’s much more difficult to find that innate love and passion for our region if you don’t live here.
“There’s a history of looking elsewhere for key positions in our community … (but) we have fantastic home-grown, local talent on our doorstep.”
Cr Wood said he believed these “suitably qualified” locals “should be rewarded at every opportunity”.
“It’s good for our community, positive for our local individual leaders and great in driving longer-term outcomes for our amazing region,” he said.
Interim CEO Philip Shanahan will finish up with the council on August 5.
A council spokesman this week said an interim replacement would be made “shortly”.
The spokesman said the next process to recruit a permanent CEO was expected to take about four months.
Sunraysia Daily asked Mr Millington on Wednesday whether he would reapply for the position, but he declined to comment.
