Andrew Roach has only officially been CEO of the Southern Downs Regional Council for two days, but he has already attended a Special Council Meeting in Warwick, where interviews for the Tourism Advisory Committee Chairman were held, met with the Minister for Local Government in Stanthorpe and held meetings in both Warwick and Stanthorpe to meet with Council’s indoor and outdoor workforce.
“The meeting with Minister for Local Government, David Crisafulli, was opportune, as Council is extremely keen to seek out lobbying opportunities for the community,” Mr Roach said.
“We will be following up on this at the Community Cabinet to be held in Goondiwindi this month,” he said.
Originally from Bathhurst, Mr Roach comes to Council with a 22-year history in local government as well as consultancy experience, most recently with Jude Munro Consulting. He has worked both nationally and internationally in the UK and California.
With commencement procedures well underway, Mr Roach will initially focus on getting to know staff and Councillors, but says he is well aware of the challenges and diversity of the region.
“The Mayor is looking forward to building on the team environment and leading Council and the community toward innovative practices to better meet community expectations,” Mr Roach said.
The Mayor, Cr Peter Blundell, said it was important for Mr Roach to meet with community groups to better understand the needs of the region.
“I am looking forward to introducing Andrew to community groups and advocates so that we can start working on points raised in the previous few months regarding business development, customer service and community challenges,” Cr Blundell said.
“I would encourage these groups to get in touch so that we can structure a process to meet with them over the next three to six months,” he said.
Things are unlikely to slow down for Mr Roach as he settles into the CEO chair, with Council Committee meetings set for next week.
