Resignation of the General Manager November 2022
Published on 28 November 2022
Bellingen Shire Council’s General Manager, Liz Jeremy, has tendered her resignation which Council has recently accepted in a confidential session. Ms Jeremy will be taking a period of accrued leave before formally vacating the role in early July 2023.
Council’s Deputy General Manager Corporate and Community, Mark Griffioen, has been appointed to act in the role of General Manager until recruitment for a permanent replacement occurs.
Mrs Jeremy said that “having given more than a decade of service to the Bellingen Council and its community, along with carrying out the role of Executive Officer for the Mid North Coast Joint Organisation for the past couple of years it is time for me to look to new challenges that I need to be present for in areas that I am passionate about. There are moments when big decisions come into people’s lives and I feel I need to work on what are for me issues of the moment including resilience, climate change and sustainability”.
“I wish to thank the Mayor and Councillors, colleagues and all staff during my time as General Manager, particularly during the past couple of years which have been disrupted by water security, drought, bushfires, floods and the pandemic,” Ms Jeremy said.
“Bellingen Council has been on quite a journey over the past few years, both in terms of the challenges posed most recently but also securing massive investments to provide once in a generation projects. Thankyou to all of the councillors I have worked with during my time here and most particularly the 2016-21 councillors who made some very difficult but enduring decisions. I wish the current council all the best in its future endeavours in what no doubt will continue to be challenging times in a very disrupted world. The community is in good hands with Council and I know that the future is bright for the Bellingen Shire and that it will continue to be a beautiful and amazing place to live, work and visit,” Ms Jeremy said.
Bellingen Shire Council Mayor, Steve Allan, thanked Mrs Jeremy for her service to both the council and the broader Bellingen community.
“Liz had the difficult job of leading the organisation during a period of unprecedented challenges which have included catastrophic bushfires, major flooding and a once in 100 year pandemic, and I would like to offer Mrs Jeremy my sincere thanks” Mayor Allan said.
“I personally thank Liz for the commitment to service she has shown and support to me as Mayor and wish her all the best for her next endeavours.”
Some of the key achievements overseen during Mrs Jeremy’s time as General Manager are:
- Ongoing and uninterrupted supply of services during water shortages, flood, fire and covid;
- Once in a generation investment in road and bridge infrastructure, restoration of the Memorial Hall, and other major facility upgrades including buildings, amenities, playgrounds, and boating facilities;
- Development of award winning resilience programs;
- Cutting edge work around housing, stand out sustainability initiatives including carrying out an aquifer study, working with industry experts around water security, developing a community carbon plan;
- Focusing on engagement through developing a new suite of corporate planning documents built on a solid platform of engagement, prioritising customer service and wellbeing of our people, conducting deliberative panels, and building a large social media presence to inform and engage with our community
- Building recognition of the good work of the council and receipt of a range of awards including the 2019 Local Government Professionals Award for the Bellingen Housing Strategy, the 2015 and 2019 National Customer Service Team of the Year, the2020 Bluett Award for being the most progressive Council in NSW, the 2021 Local Government Professionals Award for the Inclusive Tourism Strategy and the 2022 Resilient Australia Award for the Bellingen Pandemic response.