Council restructures top level

Date: Wednesday, 30th September 2009

The Townsville City Council is streamlining its executive leadership group, as it continues to aim for efficiencies.

The Council today announced a new senior management structure, which includes departmental mergers across each division of the organisation. The new structure reduces the number of executive management positions from 30 to 19.

Council CEO, Ray Burton, said the new, sleeker council structure would not affect on-ground employees and would allow for increased efficiencies and cost savings over the coming years.

"The jobs of our regular workforce are well and truly protected under the State Government`s Code of Practice for Council Amalgamations," Mr Burton said.

"This restructure affects a number of Executive Managers, whose positions no longer exist in the new structure. They will be offered a package for an early departure from council.

"We have had to make some tough decisions, but in the end, we are accountable to our ratepayers.

“I believe that we have come up with a structure that is leaner and able to provide a sharper focus on the delivery of services across the city.

“We are almost 18 months down the track since amalgamation and that has been sufficient time to look at how the organisation can move forward with a more efficient way of doing business.

"It won`t affect on-ground staff or services. We have been communicating with the affected managers and the entire staff to ensure the restructure is implemented with few delays."