Council adopts organisational review recommendations
Date published: 27 September 2016
Townsville City Council today adopted the recommendations of an independent organisational review that is expected to reduce management numbers, slash red tape and improve productivity.
Townsville Mayor Cr Jenny Hill said the council would implement the review conducted by the Nous Group immediately, seeking budget savings to keep downward pressure on rates and improve council’s customer focus.
Ms Hill said the review recommended a range of projects to improve council’s operational performance, including an immediate restructure of the council administration and cutting an entire layer of management.
She said Nous had identified that council was significantly over-managed and this had led to poor decision making and a risk averse and overly bureaucratic culture.
“Council will cut the number of operational divisions from five to three and introduce a new, flatter management structure that combines two existing layers of management into one,” Ms Hill said.
“We will not however know the final number of positions that will go until the CEO is able to complete a process of consultation with all of the affected managers.
“Once that process is complete we will release the final report, which will also detail immediate and long term projected savings from its implementation.”
Cr Hill said the sleeker management structure would not impact front-line staff or services.
“Today’s decision delivers on a core commitment my team made to the residents of Townsville to transform council into a leaner business, focused on delivering value for its community,” Cr Hill said.
“This review should have happened in the last term of council, but I couldn’t get the support I needed in the council chamber to get it through.
“This time around we have a mandate to deliver our policy agenda and today we are following through on our promise to make the council leaner and back in tune with the needs of our residents.”
Council and the CEO are committed to releasing the full review following proper communication and consultation with staff.
The Executive Summary of the Nous Group Review is available for here.
