Councillor Conduct Tribunal strengthened with new appointees

Queensland’s Councillor Conduct Tribunal (CCT), the independent body that hears complaints of councillor misconduct, has welcomed a new president and 10 casual members.

The Queensland Government has appointed Russell Hood to the role of President for a term of four years, starting 13 November 2023.

Appointed as casual members for a four-year term commencing 1 November 2023 are Danielle Brown, Greg Chemello, Rodney Ferguson, Emma Fogerty, Kylie Goodwin, Rebecca Ogge, Robert Olding, Louise Pyrchidczuk and Grant Wilson. Dr Brendan Walker-Munro was also reappointed.

They join existing casual Tribunal members Russell Faulkner, Carolyn Ashcroft, Troy Newman and Gabe Bednarek.

The additions mean there will now be 14 casual members to support Mr Hood.

The former CCT President, June Anstee’s term ended on 31 October, and she did not seek reappointment.

The Tribunal’s function includes to hear and decide complaints of misconduct by councillors as referred by the Office of the Independent Assessor, and to investigate suspected inappropriate conduct of a councillor referred to a local government.

Quotes attributable to Acting Premier Steven Miles:

“The Tribunal plays a vital role in ensuring local government representatives are held to the high standards our communities expect of them,” Mr Miles said.

“A larger CCT will ensure the integrity and accountability of the local government sector, and importantly, improve the community’s confidence in their elected officials.

“By increasing the number of casual members we can also ensure that councillors have complaints heard in a timely manner.

“The new members include legal experts, Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) members and former local government chief executive officers.

“These are all highly experienced public servants who bring a wealth of professional experience and expertise to their roles.

“These key appointments will help build community confidence, especially in the lead-up to the 2024 local government elections, so Queenslanders can continue to expect their councillors to be strong and fair representatives.

“I would also like to congratulate Ms Anstee for her outstanding service as Tribunal President.”

Russell Hood - president. Mr Hood is a member of the Bar Association of Queensland and a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland. Mr Hood was chief executive officer of Roma Town Council for five years and has considerable experience as a Crown prosecutor at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and as director of Legal and Operations at the Office of the Queensland Integrity Commissioner.

Danielle Brown - casual member. Ms Brown is a lawyer with over 20 years’ experience across various legal jurisdictions specialising in child protection, crime, family law and domestic violence. Ms Brown is currently an assistant director at the Office of the Director of Child Protection Litigation and a sessional member of QCAT.

Greg Chemello - casual member. Mr Chemello has a long and varied experience across State and local government sectors, including most recently as chief executive officer of Moreton Bay Regional Council. Mr Chemello has also previously been appointed to the roles of interim administrator of Ipswich City Council, acting director-general of the Department of Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs and general manager of Economic Development Queensland.  Mr Chemello is now a director/board member of a number of companies and statutory agencies.

Rodney Ferguson - casual member. Mr Ferguson is the former chief executive officer of Whitsunday Regional Council and has extensive experience and knowledge of the local government sector and legislation. In addition, as a senior executive within local government, Mr Ferguson has led investigations in a variety of matters ranging from fraud to misconduct to disciplinary actions.

Emma Fogerty - casual member. Ms Fogerty is a solicitor with 11 years’ experience, who specialises in criminal defence, regulatory and administrative law.  Ms Fogerty was appointed as an acting professional member of the Parole Board Queensland in 2022 and is an accredited specialist in criminal law. As a member of the Parole Board Queensland, Ms Fogerty has experience hearing and determining matters within a statutory framework.

Kylie Goodwin - casual member. Ms Goodwin has experience in investigations and local government, having worked at Ipswich City Council in senior and executive management roles in internal audit and the City Solicitor. Ms Goodwin has relevant experience and qualifications in the conduct of investigations both at council and as an external investigator. Ms Goodwin is also a qualified dispute resolution practitioner under the National Mediator Accreditation Standards.

Rebecca Ogge - casual member. Ms Ogge is a lawyer with over 16 years’ experience, specialising in sports and family law.  Ms Ogge is the principal lawyer of Ogge Law and holds accreditation as a family law arbitrator. Ms Ogge has been a member of the National Sports Tribunal since 2020, and is the deputy chairperson and arbitrator of the Football Australia National Dispute Resolution Chamber and chairperson of Cricket Gold Coast’s Tribunal since 2015.

Robert Olding - casual member. Mr Olding has been a sessional member of QCAT since 2016, hearing and deciding administrative review cases and mediation.  Mr Olding has also been a senior member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal since 2019.  Mr Olding has qualifications in law and previously worked for the Office of State Revenue in Queensland and the Australian Taxation Office.

Louise Prychidczuk - casual member. Ms Prychidczuk has been a practising solicitor for 20 years and a mediator for 15 years, practising in both criminal and civil law.  Ms Prychidczuk is currently a professional member of the Parole Board Queensland and sessional member of QCAT (as Louise Pearce).  Ms Prychidczuk has previously been a sessional member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal and Acting Chair of the Cape York Hospital and Health Service Board. 

Brendan Walker-Munro - casual member. Dr Walker-Munro is a current member of the Councillor Conduct Tribunal, having been previously appointed to the role in 2020.  Dr Walker-Munro has direct experience in making complex decisions and drafting legal decisions for the Tribunal and has acted as Chairperson on numerous misconduct hearings.

Grant Wilson - casual member. Mr Wilson is an experienced lawyer with extensive and proven experience in both the private sector and in governance and legal roles with Gold Coast City Council and Toowoomba Regional Council. In his work with Toowoomba most recently, Mr Wilson has managed diverse governance and legal aspects including legal services, risk management, internal audit, complaints management, integrity and ethics.           

For more information about the CCT, visit the Department website.

ENDS

Media contact: Amy Hunter 0423 651 484