General News
29 September, 2026
Mayor makes first moves
AT the first meeting he has chaired in the top job, newly-elected Tablelands Mayor Kevin Cardew has moved swiftly to start improving the transparency of council’s decision-making.
In a Mayoral Minute, Cr Cardew took the opportunity to “thank the community for putting your faith in me to lead council for the remainder of this term”.
“For me, the result was overwhelming and I’m very humble the community has put their faith in me to deliver the outcomes I ran my campaign on,” he said.
“The message you sent is loud and clear, you want change and with the support of my fellow Councillors, I will endeavour to deliver this change.
“As I have said, and many of you have acknowledged change will not happen overnight but with your continued support we will make it happen.”
Mayor Cardew revealed that in his first two weeks in office, he had requested a number of initial changes including awarding tenders in council’s open session instead of them being decided behind closed doors as has been the case since chief executive officer Nicola Stepanov brought about that change.
Four reports dealing with tenders were approved in open session at last week’s meeting.
Among other changes, Mayor Cardew has asked for is the suspension of pre-agenda meetings held before the public council meetings.
This was in order “to allow for questions, discussion and debate to occur during the council meeting for openness and transparency”.
He has also requested that the council meeting agenda pass through the Mayor’s office for perusal before being made public, as well as the removal of acronyms in reports and information sessions for “ease of interpretation”.
Mayor Cardew also moved to put in place a policy whereby the Mayor could appoint an acting CEO in the event that the position became vacant, or if the CEO was absent or could not perform their duties.
His resolution also included the delegation of that power to the Mayor would require him to consult with all councillors “where possible and practical prior to making any decision”.
But councillors were not comfortable with the proposal and wanted to defer the move until more information was available.
“My concern is not about any individual; it is about the process being used to appoint an interim chief executive officer,” Cr Annette Haydon said.
“Appointing a CEO, even on an acting basis, is one of the most significant decisions a council makes. It affects our staff, our community, and the direction of this organisation.
“Under Section 195 of the Local Government Act 2009, the power to appoint an acting CEO rests with council. Even where that power has been delegated, council remains accountable for how it is exercised.
“For that reason, councillors should be properly informed before a decision is made. There has been no councillor information session, no adequate opportunity for councillors to discuss the matter, no clear time frame or process put before us.
“I do not believe we have enough information today to make a decision of this significance.”
Mayor Cardew said he understood their reluctance to give the motion the green light.
“I can understand where you’re coming from. (But) the motion is very simple,” he said.
“It’s just a procedural process because, at the moment, there’s nothing in place in our procedural documents that allows for the appointment of an acting CEO in the event that our CEO cannot carry out the role, so it’s a procedural thing,” he said, adding he had received legal advice on the matter.
Councillors voted 4-2 against the motion.
