Golden Plains CEO’s focus on key services, relationships

FINDING his feet on the second day in the role of Golden Plains Shire chief executive officer earlier this week, Adam McSwain said he is keen to be present, available, and approachable.

Following this year’s shire customer satisfaction survey score of 41, Mr McSwain said he wants to get out to meet people, understand their concerns, and “talk through the opportunities.”

“It’s important people can meet me and put a face to the CEO role, as I work closely with the mayor and the councillors,” he said.

“I can already see, two days in, that we have lots and lots of amazing staff. I have no doubt we can continue to build those relationships, while also delivering key services.”

Mr McSwain is a former lead at Edward River Council in New South Wales, and no stranger to helping a municipality in a building phase.

“When I was CEO there, they were just coming together as a new organisation,” he said.

“What I loved about that role was working closely with a group of councillors and staff, but also with community, helping them with grant funding, improving some customer satisfaction scores and services to community.”

Mr McSwain said part of the attraction of working at Golden Plains was its blend of peri-urban and rural areas.

“I’ve worked both at some larger metro-type councils but also some smaller regional and rural councils, and I’ve always loved that close connection to community you can have with a regional council,” he said.

“Also through the interview process, and getting to know the mayor and councillors, I really appreciated their approach.”

Mr McSwain said key issues Golden Plains Shire faces include financial sustainability, population growth, and public transport access.

“There’s been some great work with the Growing Places Strategy that councillors recently endorsed, and we’ll look to how we implement that,” he said.

“We’ll also continue work with the State Government on the Bannockburn South East [Precinct Structure Plan]. That’s critically important.

“The other priority is to still have balance.

“We want to be providing updated infrastructure and service delivery, and a real presence in all the townships and communities in Golden Plains… and balancing growth with environmental outcomes.

“That’s a great selling point of Golden Plains, the lifestyle and the environment… and there’s work we can do through strategic planning to get the right protections in place.”

Mr McSwain said he will “continue to advocate” for better public transport links shire-wide, and he expects work in the financial sustainability space to include a review of services so public money is funding the best community outcomes.

At the end of his first 12 months as CEO, he said he hopes to see customer satisfaction improved, roads, footpaths and infrastructure renewed, day-to-day services being performed at a high level, better public transport links, and relationships strengthened within the organisation, and with its partners.

“A thriving shire has a variety of different elements,” he said.

“We want to prioritise investment and capital projects we’re undertaking… get some plans in place and implement a number of improvements.

“But for me, anywhere that’s great to live has a balance between nice open space, the feel of community safety, good transport networks, and strong advocacy.”