Extraordinary Council - 10 Nov 2026

Topics

• Ballina council approves acting leadership after General Manager resignation
  Ballina Shire Council will move to an Acting General Manager arrangement when Paul Hickey leaves on 20 November, after councillors rejected a plan to rotate directors through the role.
  The General Manager leads the council administration, so the interim appointment affects the management of services, projects and council staff during the transition.
• Public division over the interim arrangement
  The proposal to defer appointment and rotate directors was defeated. The final recommendations were adopted with seven councillors voting for and two against.
  The vote records a clear council disagreement about how the leadership transition should be managed.

Decisions

• General Manager resignation noted
  Council noted correspondence confirming General Manager Paul Hickey’s resignation from Ballina Shire Council, effective Friday 20 November 2026, and acknowledged his approximately 20 years of contribution to Council and the Ballina community.
  A senior leadership change will affect the council’s administration and executive oversight.
• Acting General Manager arrangements approved
  Council adopted recommendations from the confidential session concerning the General Manager’s departure and Acting General Manager arrangements. The adopted arrangements include appointing Ms Brown as Acting General Manager, with provision for a director to serve temporarily if she is on leave before a permanent or different Acting General Manager is appointed.
  An Acting General Manager will oversee council operations during the transition to a permanent appointment.
• Acting General Manager remuneration and contract support approved
  Ms Brown’s remuneration as Acting General Manager is to be based on the total remuneration previously payable to the General Manager, calculated pro rata. The Mayor may seek assistance from Local Government NSW to prepare her temporary employment contract.
  The decision sets the basis for the interim executive salary and contract arrangements.
• Proposal to defer appointment rejected
  An amendment proposed deferring the decision on an Interim General Manager until a recruiter was appointed in February 2027 and rotating directors through the Acting General Manager role in the meantime. The amendment was lost, with Cr Erin Karsten and Cr Kiri Dicker voting for it and the other listed councillors voting against it.
  Council chose to proceed with the approved interim arrangement rather than rotate directors or wait until February 2027.

Discussion

• Council leadership transition
  The meeting was called specifically to address the General Manager’s resignation and arrangements for executive leadership from 20 November 2026.
  The transition may affect the administration of council services, projects and future recruitment of a permanent General Manager.
• Confidential personnel decision
  Council considered the employment and Acting General Manager arrangements in confidential session under Section 10A(2)(a) of the Local Government Act 1993, before reporting the adopted outcome in open council.
  The public received the key decision and reasons for confidentiality, although detailed personnel discussion was not public.
• Public division over the interim arrangement
  The proposal to defer appointment and rotate directors was defeated. The final recommendations were adopted with seven councillors voting for and two against.
  The vote records a clear council disagreement about how the leadership transition should be managed.

Impacts

• Council’s General Manager will leave office on 20 November 2026.
• An Acting General Manager arrangement will operate while Council manages the transition to a permanent or different appointment.
• The Acting General Manager’s remuneration will be calculated by reference to the former General Manager’s remuneration on a pro-rata basis.
• The Mayor may use Local Government NSW assistance to prepare the Acting General Manager’s temporary contract.

Places

• Ballina Shire (local government area)
  Council’s General Manager and Acting General Manager arrangements affect the administration of the entire shire.
• Ballina (town and community)
  The meeting acknowledged the outgoing General Manager’s contribution to the Ballina community.

Next

• Paul Hickey’s resignation takes effect.
  20 November 2026
• Implement the approved Acting General Manager arrangements and temporary contract process.
  Following the resignation and during the leadership transition
• Progress recruitment or appointment arrangements for a permanent or different General Manager.
  Not specified in the minutes

Extract

MINUTES OF THE EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF BALLINA SHIRE COUNCIL HELD IN THE BALLINA SHIRE COUNCIL CHAMBERS 40 CHERRY STREET BALLINA, ON 10/11/26 AT 6:00 PM of 5 of the Minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting of Ballina Shire Council – 10/11/26 ................................................. MAYOR Attendance Crs Sharon Cadwallader (Mayor - in the chair), Michelle Bailey, Simon Kinny, Damian Loone, Therese Crollick, Eva Ramsey, Erin Karsten, Kiri Dicker and Phil Meehan (Online). Troy Anderson (Director - Civil Services Division), Matthew Wood (Director - Planning and Environmental Health Division), Caroline Klose (Director - Corporate and Community Division) and Nikki Glassop (Executive Assistan...