Redland City Council faces scrutiny over CEO recruitment transparency

Redland City Council is facing scrutiny regarding the transparency of its CEO recruitment process. Following Right to Information requests, heavily redacted documents and minutes have been released concerning a contentious closed-door meeting held on February 3 last year.

The controversy centers on the appointment of Louise Rusan to the $500,000 chief executive position. Rusan was appointed after being brought in from outside the selection panel's original shortlist.

While council policy requires all workshops and briefings to be recorded, initial requests for the footage and transcripts were denied by legal services on the grounds that they were “not in the public interest.” Following an internal review, the council released what were described as “minutes taken by a council officer following the interviews of the unsuccessful CEO candidates,” despite guidelines stating that formal minutes should not be taken during such proceedings.