An enquiry about Scenic Rim Regional Council’s Continuous Improvement Coordinator has raised a number of questions about the efficiency of hiring the officer and the consequent savings recommended.
In the CEO’s message in 2025-26 budget documents, CEO David Keenan stated that a Continuous Improvement Coordinator had been employed “to identify opportunities to reduce costs across the organisation”.
Answering an enquiry from Tamborine Mountain News, Mr Keenan confirmed that the coordinator had been employed from February 2025 until January 2026, however the position is not currently filled and had not been funded for this financial year.
“It will be assessed at the end of this financial year,” Mr Keenan said.
He did not provide information about savings identified by the coordinator during their time at council, instead providing a generic response.
“The staff member presented to the councillors a number of continuous initiatives that they had identified during their employment at Scenic Rim Regional Council,” Mr Keenan said.
He later stated that the staff member had made two presentations to councillors identifying cost savings.
“Every staff member is encouraged to identify cost saving opportunities and process improvement, as well as continuous improvement.”
The employment conditions for the coordinator have not been made public.
“Due to privacy considerations, Council does not comment on the salaries of staff members whether current or former,” Mr Keenan said.
According to Seek.com, the average salary of an Improvement Coordinator in Australia is between $110,000 and $130,000; the salary for a Continuous Improvement Manager ranges from $115,000 to $150,000.
Whether the appointment of the coordinator was worthwhile remains a mystery, with council’s budget blowouts on projects such as the Gallery Walk Car park and Hinchcliffe Bridge well documented.
In addition, according to Mr Keenan, council’s restructure has been finalised now that three Directors have been appointed, however Council’s website only provides details of the CEO and three Directors, with no organisation chart or further details publicly available.
