OBERON Council’s stated intention to advertise for a new general manager on a two-year contract will contravene the rules for councils the NSW Government wants to merge, according to Minister for Local Government Paul Toole.
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Mr Toole was responding to the news that Oberon councillors had, at their final ordinary meeting of the year, carried a motion to begin a recruitment process for the position of general manager.
The decision to do so was controversial given the NSW Government has made it clear it wants to merge Oberon and Bathurst as soon as the legal hurdles have been cleared.
"In uncertain times, to ensure that council remains adequately staffed and able to function efficiently, it has been decided that a new general manager be appointed and offered a two-year contract," Oberon mayor Kathy Sajowitz told the meeting.
“The minister, in his noted correspondence, stated the appointment of a person to the position of general manager is crucial to the good governance and to the openness and transparency of its operations.”
The position had proved problematic after Oberon Council had been told it was in breach of the Local Government Act when it reappointed its acting general manager Gary Wallace after he had completed a year in the job.
Director of finance and community services Lynette Safranek was subsequently appointed to the acting general manager position, which can only be held by one person for a maximum of 12 months.
Cr Sajowitz said at the council’s final meeting for the year that the plan was to start advertising for the two year position in January.
Mr Toole, though, said under the Section 23A guidelines of the Local Government Act, issued to provide instructions to councils that are under a merger proposal, such councils can only appoint a general manager for a one-year period.
”They [Oberon Council] really should be contacting the Office of Local Government if they are unsure or if they need further advice on this matter,” he said.
Oberon councillors also voted at their final ordinary meeting to formally appeal the rejection of the council’s legal challenge in the Land and Environment Court against its forced merger with Bathurst which was submitted to the Supreme Court on December 23.
The similar appeal launched by Woollahra Council in Sydney was lost in the Supreme Court on December 22.
