BALLARAT City Council’s chief executive Anthony Schinck has resigned.
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Mr Schinck’s shock resignation came as he confirmed he accepted a role as regional director of the Grampians in a newly appointed leadership team for Regional Development Victoria.
The revelation comes just months after Mr Schinck was successful in a pursuit to be controversially reappointed to the role, without the position being advertised.
The decision sparked a groundswell of prominent community leaders to demand the role be advertised, with an open and transparent recruitment process launched.
It also divided councillors, with some declaring the council had a moral obligation to the public to test the market to ensure the best person was leading the city.
Mr Schinck said the new position was an unprecedented role and he had no knowledge of it prior to being reappointed as the city’s chief.
Following the announcement, speculation was rife Mr Schinck’s departure could spark a mass exodus of senior officers.
However, Mr Schinck quashed the rumours and said he a “strong sense of confidence” in the city’s leadership team.
“The reality is as CEO I’m leaving the organisation, nobody else is leaving with me,” Mr Schinck said. “The team that I have, I’ve taken a lot of time to get right. I think they are the right team to lead the city and I want to see them stay on and continue to do the work they are doing.”
No decision has been made on who will be appointed acting chief executive following Mr Schinck’s departure set to come into effect on December 22.
Mayor Des Hudson said a nationwide quest to find a candidate would commence immediately.
Ballarat councillors were expected to discuss the recruitment process for a replacement chief executive at an assembly meeting on Wednesday night.
Mr Schinck has been a staunch campaigner of relocating VicRoads or another state government department to the city.
However, when asked by The Courier if he would continue this pursuit in his position at state government level, Mr Schinck remained tight-lipped.
“I can’t really say what I will be directly working on at the moment as that is something for the state government to talk more about,” Mr Schicnk said.
“But, what I can say is that my role is clearly to represent the whole region. It allows me to stay involved in Ballarat but more broadly as an advocate not only for the central highlands but all the way across the Wimmera region.”
Cr Hudson said Mr Schinck’s contribution to the city was profound.
"It’s a sad day for us, losing a very valuable member of our staff, who has had an enormous track-record of positive impact,” Cr Hudson said. “We’re also going to have somebody at a state level, who already knows the projects we are pushing for. I see that as a great advantage.”
Mr Schinck was appointed at the city’s highest paid officer in 2007, earning in excess of $300,000 a year.
His time at the helm of the council followed a rapid climb through the ranks of the council’s executive team where he began as head marketing and tourism in 2005.
After enduring criticism for delays in delivering long-standing projects, Mr Schinck said he hand over the organisation confident in its ability to deliver on commitments to the city.
“What has been achieved is not my legacy, it’s a shared success,” Mr Schinck said. “I’ve had opportunity to work with tremendous, passionate and visionary people as this city has transformed from a regional city to the capital of Western Victoria.”