Manager leaves council

A SOUTHERN Downs Regional Council (SDRC) manager has jumped ship, taking on a director’s role at a neighbouring council.
Tenterfield Shire Council (TSC) announced on Tuesday current SDRC manager of infrastructure Stephen Bell would take up the appointment of director of engineering services on 6 October.
Mr Bell, who moved to Queensland for family reasons in August last year after working in Western Australia for 12 years, said he “could not resist applying” when the director’s position became available.
“Tenterfield is not an unfamiliar place for me,” he said.
“It is a place that I can see has a positive outlook and a clear direction.”
TSC mayor Peter Petty said the position was “keenly” contested with over 20 applications received.
“Stephen has extensive engineering skills and considerable experience in local government across three states and council looks forward to working with him as a team to meet our future challenges,” he said.
Mr Bell said he was looking forward to working with council to carry out the projects in the Community Strategic Plan.
The position was previously held by Dr Dennis Gascoigne who left on 3 July to resume work in genomic medicine.
This is not Mr Bell’s first role as director.
He held the position of director at the Shire of Plantagenet and Serpentine Jarrahdale Shire in Western Australia and prior to relocating to Queensland was the director of infrastructure services for five years at the City of South Perth.
He has also previously worked as a manager at Cessnock and Maclean in NSW and Albany and Gosnells in Western Australia.