Council inquiry call

Nolan concerned over conflict of interest

A FAR Northern Councillor has called for a formal investigation into an alleged conflict of interest case at the local government level.

Cassowary Coast Regional Councillor Mark Nolan believes the process surrounding the appointment of Bill Davis as the council’s executive manager needs further scrutiny by Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe, despite the Minister saying it was a matter for the council.

The Cairns Post reported at the weekend that Mr Davis, who was originally hired as a consultant to the council last year, recommended creating his role and then helped write the position description.

It is not suggested that Mr Davis was not qualified for the position.

Documents provided under Right To Information showed Mr Davis was not only given a heads-up about the executive manager job by the council’s chief executive James Gott before he was interviewed for the role, but he was also asked by the council’s HR manager Peter Crosby to review the position description of his future job and that of two directors and a manager who now serve under him.

The council’s mayor has refuted any claims there was a clear conflict of interest regarding the recruitment of his executive manager, despite previously stating Mr Davis had little contact with the council during the executive manager recruitment process.

Cr Nolan, who has been a councillor in the region for 14 years, said the matter needed to be investigated.

“I speak from experience,” he said.

“I was part of the Johnstone (Shire) Council in 2007, when that was sacked.”

Minister Hinchliffe, who was in Cairns yesterday, told reporters he was monitoring the council issue “closely.”

“At this point in time, my advice is that this is a matter for council, but nothing that we can see has occurred outside of the normal practises of council,” he said.

“But we’ll keep a close eye on it, as we would in any other council right across the state.”

Cassowary Coast Mayor John Kremastos pointed out that after a merit-based recruitment and selection process, all councillors unanimously agreed to offer the executive manager role to Mr Davis.

He did not believe there were any matters of conflictof-interest within the council, saying they had always followed local government protocols.

“We’ve always been very conscious and cautious,” he said.

“I’d welcome any investigation into that.

“But I stand by my comments: we’ve done nothing incorrect, and I think we’ve played everything with a very straight bat.”