Redland City Council is restructuring at the top level to be more efficient and responsive to the needs of its customers.
Chief Executive Officer Bill Lyon said the restructure, approved at a General Council meeting today, would align like-areas and reduce the number of General Managers and departments from five to three.
There will now be three General Managers heading up three newly named departments:
- Infrastructure and Operations, under Gary Soutar
- Community and Customer, under Louise Rusan
- Organisational Services, under Nick Clarke.
Mr Lyon said the new model built on the natural synergies between Council groups.
“The new Infrastructure and Operations department brings most outdoor staff into one group, while the Community and Customer department creates an area dedicated to the customer from the ‘planners’ to the ‘doers’,” he said.
“And, aligning organisational support services into a single department is a natural fit.
“With like-areas together, the new alignment aims to reduce the need to ‘bounce’ matters between different areas to find solutions.
Mr Lyon said increased efficiencies meant reduced costs, assisting Council to meet financial targets set in our financial strategy.
“Council is committed to continual improvement and has asked staff to bring forward their ideas on further efficiencies or synergies. This may result in refining where some work groups best fit under the new structure.”
Mayor of Redland City Karen Williams said she made a commitment during her campaign for Mayor to deliver a more streamlined and efficient Council.
“This restructure was not a decision taken lightly; we can no longer afford to have a top-heavy organisation while Council faces increased costs and residents face increased costs of living,” she said.
“We looked closely at what we do and how we can do it better, and more cheaply, and the restructure is the result.
“We now have the opportunity to deliver Redland City its most efficient, most effective and most responsive Council ever.”
Redland City Council staff were informed of the decision on Wednesday afternoon (27 March 2013).