Agenda of Demerger Transition Committee Meeting

Demerger Transition Committee Meeting Agenda

11 August 2026

NOTICE OF MEETING

A Meeting of The Demerger Transition Committee will be held in the Alby Schultz meeting Centre, Cootamundra on:

Tuesday, 11th August, 2026 at 6pm

The agenda for the meeting is enclosed.

Roger Bailey

Interim General Manager

Live Streaming of Meetings Statement

This meeting is streamed live via the internet and an audio-visual recording of the meeting will be publicly available on Council's website.

By attending this meeting, you consent to your image and, or, voice being live streamed and publicly available. Please refrain from making any defamatory statements.

Statement of Ethical Obligations

The Mayor and Councillors are bound by the Oath/Affirmation of Office made at the start of the Council term to undertake their civic duties in the best interests of the people of Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council and to faithfully and impartially carry out the functions, powers, authorities and discretions vested in them under the Local Government Act or any other Act, to the best of their skill and judgement.

It is also a requirement that the Mayor and Councillors disclose conflicts of interest in relation to items listed for consideration on the Agenda or which are considered at this meeting in accordance with Council’s Code of Conduct and Code of Meeting Practice.

MINUTES OF Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council
Demerger Transition Committee Meeting
HELD AT THE Council Chambers, Gundagai
ON Tuesday, 14 July 2026 AT 6pm

PRESENT: Cr Abb McAlister (Mayor), Cr David Graham, Cr Penny Nicholson, Cr Ethan Ryan (online), Cr Gil Kelly (online).

IN ATTENDANCE: Cr Danyal Syed (online), Peter Bascomb (Demerger Transition Manager), Roger Bailey (Interim General Manager), Linda Wiles (Manager Business) (online).

1 Acknowledgement of Country

The Chairperson acknowledged the Wiradjuri people who are the Traditional Custodians of the Land at which the meeting was held and paid his respects to Elders, both past and present, of the Wiradjuri Nation and extended that respect to other Aboriginal people who were present.

2 Apologies, Leave of Absence, and AUDIO-VISUAL attendance requests

2.1 Apologies

Committee Resolution

Moved: Cr David Graham

Seconded: Cr Gil Kelly

That the apology received from Cr Rosalind Wight (Deputy Mayor) be accepted.

Carried

2.2 Leave of Absence

Nil

2.3 Audio-visual attendance requests

Nil

3 Disclosures of Interest

Nil

4 Confirmation of Minutes

4.1 Minutes of the Demerger Transition Committee Meeting held on Tuesday 16 June 2026

Committee Resolution

Moved: Cr Ethan Ryan

Seconded: Cr Penny Nicholson

That the Minutes of the Demerger Transition Committee Meeting held on Tuesday 16 June 2026 be confirmed as a true and correct record of the meeting.

Carried

5 General Manager’s Report

5.1 General Manager Office

5.1.1 Consideration of Shared Services

Committee Resolution

Moved: Cr Gil Kelly

Seconded: Cr Penny Nicholson

That the committee recommend to Council that, for the purposes of the Financial Sustainability Plan currently being reviewed, the draft organisational structures for the two successor Councils not include any shared services.

Carried

5.1.2 Community Stratgic Plans for the Successor Councils

Committee Resolution

Moved: Cr Ethan Ryan

Seconded: Cr David Graham

That the Committee note the process and expenditure for the development of a draft Community Strategic Plan for each of the successor Councils.

Carried

5.1.3 Demerger Transition Update - LGNSW Planning Meeting

Committee Resolution

Moved: Cr Gil Kelly

Seconded: Cr Ethan Ryan

That the committee notes the report in relation to the Demerger Transition Update – LGNSW Planning Meeting.

Carried

5.1.4 Financial Sustainability Plan Schedule

Committee Resolution

Moved: Cr Gil Kelly

Seconded: Cr David Graham

That the Committee notes the report in relation to the Financial Sustainability Plan Schedule.

Carried

The Meeting closed at 6:21pm.


CHAIRPERSON	INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER

Demerger Transition Committee Meeting Agenda

11 August 2026

5.1 General Manager Office

5.1.1 GM-Designate Recruitment - Request for Quotation

DOCUMENT NUMBER

475630

REPORTING OFFICER

Peter Bascomb, Demerger Transition Manager

AUTHORISING OFFICER

Roger Bailey, Interim General Manager

RELEVANCE TO COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN

4. Collaborative and progressive leadership

4.4 Recognised as a premier local government Council that represents and advocates for community needs

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no additional financial implications associated with this report.

LEGISLATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The recruitment process is subject to legislative and s.23a guideline requirements.

POLICY IMPLICATIONS

There are no policy implications associated with this report.

ATTACHMENTS

1. GM-Designate RfQ ⇩

2. s.23a Guidelines for the Recruitment of Senior Council Executives ⇩

Recommendation

That the Committee:

1. Endorses the General Manager-Designate Recruitment - Request for Quotation documents attached to this report.

2. Authorises the immediate public release of the Request for Quotation consistent with Council’s Procurement Policy.

Introduction

This report recommends the commencement of the recruitment of the successor Councils’ General Managers-Designate.

Discussion

The Committee, at its 15 April meeting, resolved as follows:

1. The Committee recommends that Council:

a. Establish the positions of:

i. General Manager Designate Cootamundra

ii. General Manager Designate Gundagai

b. Seek to employ both GMs-Designate by 30 April 2027 at the latest, initially as an award-based employee with remuneration package equivalent to that of the relevant GM position.

c. Seek to have the Proclamation refer to the appointment of the GMs-Designate as the Interim General Manager of the Council for which they were recruited.

d. Determine that the GMs-Designate’s role will include:

i. Review the draft structure of the organisation for which they are recruited.

ii. Recruit as many vacant positions as possible by 1 July 2027.

iii. Working with the other GM-Designate and the Interim General Manager, ensure that all new staff a properly inducted and trained.

iv. Progress the Demerger Transition Project to ensure that both successor Councils are fully operational on 1 July 2027.

v. Working with the other GM-Designate and the Interim General Manager, finalise the draft IP&R and other plans and policies for the Council for which they are recruited.

vi. Assist the CGRC Interim GM as required to ensure the continued operation of CGRC and the smooth transition to the new organisations.

2. The Committee recommends that Council, to facilitate the recruitment of the two GMs-Designate:

a. Establish two Committees of Council, being:

i. GM Cootamundra Recruitment Committee, comprising Councillors Wight, Kelly, Ryan, Collins, Cooper and Syed.

ii. GM Gundagai Recruitment Committee, comprising Councillors McAllister, Graham and Nicholson.

b. Require the Committees to follow the Guidelines for the Appointment and Oversight of General Managers issued under Section 23a of the Local Government Act 1993

c. Authorise each Committee to:

i. Elect the Committee Chair.

ii. Appoint a recruitment agency to assist with the recruitment process for each successor Council.

iii. Select the preferred candidate for each successor Council for referral to Council for formal appointment.

Council, at its meeting of 28 April, adopted the Committee’s recommendation without alteration as part of Resolution 099/2026.

The recruitment of the GMs-Designate is a critical step in ensuring that the successor councils are operationally effective from their commencement on 1 July 2027.

The attached Request for Quotation document is a standard RfQ modified to allow for the unusual circumstances that apply to CGRC’s demerger transition.

It’s important to note that the Council resolution established two Committees of Council that will have full carriage of the recruitment processes, including potentially engaging separate recruitment consultants.

The Committee may also wish to consider Council undertaking the recruitments directly without the assistance of an external consultant. This is not recommended, and the s.23a guidelines (attached) include the following commentary:

In undertaking recruitments for senior executive positions, councils should ensure that a senior human resources manager or external recruitment consultant is involved in the recruitment process and has a role in verifying that council processes and procedures are followed in making appointments.

Given that Council does not employ a senior human resources manager, it would need to engage one as an external advisor which would necessitate a different RfQ thus delaying the process. Further, such a person may not have the network of potential candidates that a recruitment consultant will have established.

The Committee report recommended the following timeline. The appointed recruitment consultants may suggest an alternative, but it is important that the GMs-Designate commence in time to complete the recruitment of the additional staff required.

Date	Activity
11 August 2026	DTC endorses recruitment consultant RfQ documentation for distribution.
8 September 2026	Recruitment committees separately choose their preferred recruitment consultant (may be different).
13 October 2026	Recruitment committees meet with their preferred recruitment consultant (in person meeting) to begin preparation of the recruitment collateral. If the two committees share the recruitment consultant, then this could be a joint meeting.
October 2026 – December 2026	Recruitment consultant(s) liaises offline with recruitment committee to complete collateral. It will be the responsibility of each Committee Chair to ensure the consultant(s) receive timely feedback.
Week beginning 4 January 2027	Consultant(s) place advertisements for GMs-Designate
January-March 2027	Recruitment processes continue, culminating in short lists to be interviewed by the recruitment Committees.
9 March 2027	Recruitment Committees conduct final interviews and selection of preferred candidates.
23 March 2027	Council formally confirms the GMs-Designate. To give the appointees security they would receive two letters of offer. One would be as GM Designate until 30 June 2027 and the other would be as GM from 1 July 2027.
March – April 2027	Advertise vacant positions to ensure that the GMs-Designate can interview, appoint and new staff commence in time to be inducted and trained prior to 1 June 2027.
No later than 30 April 2027	Appointed GMs-Designate commence.

Financial

It is estimated that recruitment consultants fee will be of the order of $20,000 to $30,000 per council plus expenses. These costs will be drawn from Council’s allocated demerger budget. It is anticipated that if the two recruitment committees appoint separate consultants the cost will be greater than for a single consultant given the additional expenses such as travel and accommodation.

The GMs-Designates’ remuneration for the period from commencement of employment to 30 June 2027 will also be drawn from the demerger budget.

OLG 23a Guideline consideration

The CRGC specific s.23a guideline is not applicable here, but the s.23a Guidelines for the Recruitment of Senior Council Executives (attached) is applicable.

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Demerger Transition Committee Meeting Agenda

11 August 2026

5.1.2 Confirmation of Successor Councils' Governance Arrangements

DOCUMENT NUMBER

478675

REPORTING OFFICER

Peter Bascomb, Demerger Transition Manager

AUTHORISING OFFICER

Roger Bailey, Interim General Manager

RELEVANCE TO COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN

4. Collaborative and progressive leadership

4.2 Proactive, practical Council leaders who are aligned with community needs and values

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no additional financial implications associated with this report.

LEGISLATIVE IMPLICATIONS

There are no legislative implications associated with this report.

POLICY IMPLICATIONS

There are no Policy implications associated with this report.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Demerger Tranisition Plan as Submitted to Boundaries Commission ⇩

Recommendation

1. The Committee recommends that Council confirm the following preferences for the governance arrangements for the successor councils:

(a) That the boundaries of the proposed Cootamundra and Gundagai Shire Councils be the same as existed immediately prior to the 2016 merger.

(b) That both Cootamundra and Gundagai Shire Councils be undivided - that is, neither council will have wards.

(c) That Cootamundra Shire Council have seven councillors.

(d) That Gundagai Shire Council have five councillors.

(e) That for both successor councils the Mayor be elected in accordance with the Local Government Act 1993 section 227(a), namely elected by the councillors from among their number.

2. The Committee recommends that Council request that the first election of councillors be conducted at the same time as the next local government general elections, currently scheduled for September 2028.

3. The committee recommends that Council request that, for the period from commencement on 1 July 2027 until the first councillor election, the Proclamation specify:

(a) that the governing bodies be

(i) For Cootamundra Shire Council, those Councillors holding office at 30 June 2027, and not suspended from office, whose primary residence is within the proclaimed boundary for the Cootamundra Shire local government area.

(ii) For Gundagai Shire Council, those Councillors holding office at 30 June 2027, and not suspended from office, whose primary residence is within the proclaimed boundary for the Gundagai Shire local government area.

(b) That each governing body established under part (a) above is authorised to:

(i) Elect a Chief Administrator to chair meetings and perform the roles of the Mayor as described in the Local Government Act 1993 section 226.

(ii) Determine the remuneration of Chief Administrator and Administrators in the same manner as councils determine the remuneration for the Mayor and other councillors.

Introduction

The Demerger Transition Plan (DTP) (attached) included in Council’s submission to the LG Boundaries Commission included some assumptions about the structure of the successor councils. This report seeks the Committees confirmation that these assumptions remain valid.

Discussion

Section 6 on page 12 of the DTP outlines the then Council’s adopted positions for the Electoral arrangements for each successor council and the basis for their adoption.

The arguments for each position will not be repeated here except to note that this report recommends that the Committee recommend that Council confirms that it continues to support the positions outlined in the DTP.

The Committee may wish, however, to consider whether it would be appropriate for the proposed Gundagai Shire have seven councillors.

The DTP suggests that election of councillors be deferred six to nine months following commencement of the successor councils. This was appropriate when the DTP was developed but given the subsequent delays and with the new councils to commence on 1 July 2027 it makes little sense to hold elections just a few months short of the next local government general election, currently scheduled for September 2028. It is therefore recommended that the election of councillors be held at the same time as the next general election. It is noted that while the elections are scheduled for September 2028 the Minister may change the date as occurred during the COVID pandemic.

The DTP is silent on the composition of governing bodies following commencement of the successor councils, presumably assuming that the Proclamation would follow normal practice and a single administrator. There is precedent for the Governor to appoint multiple administrators. It is the recommendation that the current councillors be appointed as administrators based on their primary residence. This is consistent with all recent discussion and consultation with the Minister for Local Government and the Office of Local Government.

Financial

There is no additional cost as a consequence of the adoption of the recommendation.

OLG 23a Guideline consideration

Does not conflict with guidelines.

Demerger Transition Committee Meeting Agenda

11 August 2026

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REPORTING OFFICER	Teresa Breslin, Executive Assistant to Mayor and General Manager
AUTHORISING OFFICER	Roger Bailey, Interim General Manager
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS	There are no Financial implications associated with this report.
LEGISLATIVE IMPLICATIONS	There are no Legislative implications associated with this report.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS	There are no Policy implications associated with this report.
ATTACHMENTS	1. Minutes of the Demerger Transition Committee Meeting held on Tuesday 14 July 2026