1 October 2021
Southern Downs Regional Council is pleased to announce that following a recruitment process that attracted nation-wide interest, two new well-qualified applicants have been appointed to the organisation to join the executive team and will commence their tenure before the end of the year.
Come 16 November 2021, Gary Murphy will commence as Director Infrastructure Services and Rebecca Stockfeld will take up the position as Director Planning and Environmental Services on 6 December 2021.
Council CEO Dave Burges said he was not surprised with the level of interest of high-quality applicants as the region is renowned for its liveability and economic growth.
“We were very pleased to review a high number of very qualified professionals and the recruitment search net was cast far and wide to capture the attention of the nation’s best in their field,” Mr Burges said.
“Both Gary and Rebecca are extremely qualified in their areas of expertise and well respected in the industries where they have honed and plied their skills over many years.”
Currently employed at Isaac Regional Council in the role of Director Water and Waste, Gary manages 75 staff and an operational budget of $35m. He has the functional responsibility for waste, wastewater, recycled water and waste, eight water treatment plants, six wastewater plants, four landfills, six transfer stations, one Category 1 Referrable Dam and six recycled water systems.
He has also been employed as Executive Director – Infrastructure Services at Lismore City Council and Executive Manager Infrastructure and Environment and Director Works at Richmond Valley Council.
“We look forward to Gary joining our ranks. He is passionate about leadership frameworks and processes to help teams improve service levels and likes to be part of a broader executive team,” Mr Burges added.
With more than 20 years’ experience in state and local government, Rebecca joins Council after leading a large directorate at Central Goldsfield Shire Council, overseeing assets, major projects, operations, waste, statutory and strategic planning, local laws and economic development.
Rebecca holds tertiary qualifications from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne University, Swinburne University of Technology and University of Technology Sydney.
“Rebecca’s qualifications and experience make her an ideal fit to oversee the sustainability of our region’s future,” Mr Burges said.
Council welcomes both Gary and Rebecca to the region and looks forward to them commencing in these important roles.