Hawkesbury City Council's recruitment of a new General Manager has entered a critical stage, with interviews for shortlisted candidates understood to have been conducted online last week.
The recruitment follows the departure of former General Manager Elizabeth Richardson and comes at a pivotal time for the Council, with councillors due to elect a Mayor and Deputy Mayor in early September.
The timing of the appointment has prompted debate within the community and among some councillors about whether the decision should be made before or after the mayoral election. In the past decade, Hawkesbury City Council has generally taken between six and ten months to appoint a General Manager.
The Gazette understands at least one applicant has raised concerns with LGNSW Management Solutions, the recruitment firm assisting Council with the recruitment process, regarding aspects of the shortlisting process.
The nature of those concerns has not been made public. The Gazette does not suggest the concerns are well founded or that Hawkesbury City Council, LGNSW Management Solutions or any individual has acted improperly. LGNSW Management Solutions has been invited to comment.
Mayor Les Sheather said Council was following the recruitment process established by resolution of Council at its meeting of 14 April 2026 and that the process complied with the Office of Local Government's requirements.
"Council and the recruitment panel, as established by resolution at its meeting of 14 April 2026, is working within full compliance of all processes as set out by the Office of Local Government, including maintaining confidentiality over the process while it is underway," Cr Sheather said.
He said the recruitment was being supported by LGNSW Management Solutions, including the management of matters such as conflicts of interest.
"This includes the management of any issues, such as conflict of interest, that may arise during the process, including not divulging or commenting on the identity of any applicants."
Cr Sheather said the relevant Office of Local Government guidelines were publicly available and confirmed the final appointment would be made by councillors at a future Council meeting.
"The final decision to appoint a new General Manager will be made at a Meeting of Council in due course."
Debate over timing
The recruitment process has also revived broader discussion about governance and transparency in senior executive appointments at Hawkesbury City Council.
Some councillors and community members have questioned whether the appointment should be deferred until after the September mayoral election, arguing that the incoming Mayor and Deputy Mayor, who will work most closely with the General Manager over coming years, should participate in selecting the Council's most senior executive.
Others believe the appointment should proceed immediately, arguing the organisation requires permanent leadership after several months under an interim arrangement.
The Gazette asked Council whether councillors considered postponing the appointment until after the mayoral election. Council's response did not address that question.
Recruitment transparency
The recruitment has also renewed discussion about transparency in senior executive appointments generally.
Some community members have questioned whether previous senior executive recruitment processes resulted in the strongest available applicants being appointed.
The Gazette understands complaints were made to the Anti-Discrimination Board NSW concerning the recruitment of Council's previous Director of City Planning. Those complaints did not proceed because the complainants were not applicants for the position and therefore lacked standing to pursue the matter.
The fact those complaints did not proceed was not a finding that the recruitment process was either lawful or unlawful, nor did it amount to any finding of wrongdoing by Council or any individual.
Council has consistently maintained that senior appointments are undertaken in accordance with the Local Government Act 1993 and established recruitment procedures.
Interim General Manager among candidates
Interim General Manager Will Barton is understood to be among the candidates interviewed.
Mr Barton has led the organisation since the departure of former General Manager Elizabeth Richardson while continuing in his substantive executive role.
The recruitment process is confidential, and the Gazette does not know the identity of all shortlisted candidates or the matters considered by the selection panel.
His candidacy has attracted differing opinions within the community.
Supporters point to Mr Barton's detailed knowledge of the organisation and argue that appointing an internal candidate would provide continuity during a period of organisational change.
Others argue that councillors should consider recent workplace issues, including matters currently being investigated by SafeWork NSW, when assessing whether an external candidate may be better placed to lead organisational and cultural change.
Some residents have also argued that councillors should consider candidates' experience with major infrastructure projects, including the Windsor Sewerage Scheme remediation project. That project ultimately resulted in approximately $20 million in borrowing following remediation works and associated contractual arrangements.
Approximately 8,500 Windsor Sewerage Scheme customers continue paying an annual levy over the coming decade to service that historical debt following the transfer of the sewerage business to Sydney Water.
The Gazette does not suggest Mr Barton was personally responsible for the outcomes of the project or for Council's financial decisions. The project involved decisions made over several years by successive councils, senior executives, consultants, contractors and elected councillors. However, some councillors and residents believe experience associated with the project should form part of the overall assessment of candidates for the General Manager position, while others disagree.
Local resident Troy Myers said the continuing sewer levy should form part of the broader public discussion about Council's future leadership.
"Ask the 8,500 residents who are still paying off that debt how they feel about who should be General Manager. I am one of those ratepayers," Mr Myers said.
Significant appointment
The appointment of a General Manager is one of the most important decisions made by any council.
The successful candidate will lead the organisation, oversee hundreds of staff, administer a budget of hundreds of millions of dollars and play a central role in implementing the policies adopted by elected councillors.
The appointment also comes during a period of heightened public scrutiny following the resignation of the former General Manager, ongoing public debate regarding governance and transparency, and the continuing exclusion of the Hawkesbury Gazette from Council premises for media purposes.
Comment sought
The Hawkesbury Gazette also sought responses regarding:
- the reported concerns raised about the recruitment process;
- whether the timing of the appointment was influenced by the forthcoming mayoral election;
- whether councillors considered deferring the appointment until after September;
- whether experience associated with the Windsor Sewerage Scheme project formed part of the assessment of candidates; and
- whether Council is satisfied the recruitment process has been conducted transparently and on merit.
At the time of publication, Council's response addressed the recruitment process generally but did not specifically answer each of those questions. LGNSW Management Solutions had not responded by deadline.
