Council officially welcomes new chief

Central Coast Council's new permanent chief Mr Gary Murphy had been officially welcomed to the Coast by a unanimous vote at the July 9 Council meeting.

Mr Murphy had been in the role for just over a week taking over from acting chief Mr Brian Glendenning.

Mr Murphy's appointment was announced in May.

He had been a chief executive of local government organisations since 2003; first at Buller District Council in New Zealand and, for the past seven years, with Lismore City Council in northern NSW.

Mayor Cr Jane Smith said Mr Murphy had the full support of the Council.

"We need an experienced CEO who will deliver stability and certainty for the Coast and we have found that," Cr Smith said.

Mr Murphy said he would be looking at the internal structure of the Central Coast Council which is one of the largest in the state.

"I think there is from staff and the community a mix of optimism and expectation that a permanent CEO will bring stability and the ability to move forward as one Coast," Mr Murphy said at the end of his first week in the job.

He said it was a requirement to have a structural review within a year of a local government election under the Local Government Act and he will be undertaking discussions with the mayor.

There would be a report to Council about any proposed restructure by September 30 although implementation may take longer than that.

Mr Murphy said his first impressions of the community and his staff had been very positive.

"I found the community to be very responsive and the staff are professional and passionate about the Central Coast," he said.

"It is a unique opportunity, and it is not very often that you get to be the inaugural CEO of a merged Council, and a large council at that, the opportunity to bring together two organisations and to bring the community together," he said.

Cr Smith said the appointment was a decision of the full Council following an independent and robust recruitment process.

"Mr Murphy is known for his innovative and people-centric approach and has a passion for working with community and staff alike," she said.

"Under his management, Lismore City Council delivered major infrastructure for the community, became a nationally-recognised leader in waste management and recycling, and led community resilience following the devastating 2017 floods.

The 51 year old, South African born Gary Murphy said he started his 25-year career in local government straight out of university, but had to do his 18-months compulsory South African national service, and also worked in the South African equivalent of the Roads and Maritime Service, before migrating to New Zealand.

He worked for a major engineering consultancy before returning to local government in New Zealand.

SOURCE:

Media release, 7 May 2018

Jane Smith, Central Coast Council

Interview, 6 Jul 2018

Gary Murphy, Central Coast Council

Reporter: Jackie Pearson