Dr Catherine Dale’s appointment to the shire’s top job was announced yesterday and the Melbourne resident will take up her post at the end of April.

Controversy has dogged the position of general manager, from the $100,000 golden handshake paid to Jim Levy in 2008 to the resignation of his successor Paul Anderson in November, just months after signing a five-year contract.

But Dr Dale, who has led three Victorian councils and shires and holds a PhD in the role of local government, promises to be different.

A prosperous shire that preserves its natural 

beauty and wins its fair share of state and federal resources are also among Dr Dale’s stated goals.

Childhood summer holidays in Narooma and a love of our “magnificent” coastline were part of her attraction to the area.

“The Eurobodalla is superb,” said Dr Dale, who most recently has headed the national disability not-for-profit (NFP) group Ostara.

“The 110 kilometres of coast is magnificent. It is a really special area, not just in NSW but in Australia and that was a real attraction for me.”

However, the shire was also a natural fit profess-ionally.

“The mixture of the land use is really interesting,” Dr Dale said.

“My background is in land-use planning and the combination of the townships, town centres, coastal areas, coastal management and farmland is an interesting dynamic.”

Passionate volunteers were another drawcard.

 “I like working with communities that are articulate. About 44 per cent of the population is involved in volunteerism and that indicates a community with a real passion for where they live and why they live there. 

“I enjoy working with diverse communities to ensure access to important services. My current role at Ostara is working directly with communities across Australia – people who have mental illness and disability, and helping them find employment. 

“My key driver has always been being involved with the community and to assist and facilitate their aspirations. 

“From that perspective, NFPs and local governments have a great similarity.”

Dr Dale said her national role was an enjoyable challenge, “but I look forward to working more directly with a local community”.

Dr Dale was CEO of the cities of Boroondara and Bayside and of Nillumbik Shire.

At Boroondara she managed a budget of up to $170 million, while at Nillumbik she covered a shire of “about 430 square kms”. 

In Nillumbik, she sees similarities to parts of the Eurobodalla. 

That shire, which includes the famous artistic centre 

of Eltham was “mudbrick, green wedge, environmental, artistic”.

“In terms of population, land use and the environment it is probably quite similar,” she said. 

Bayside’s “17 kms of coast pales into insignificance” to the Eurobodalla’s, “but in terms of coastal management, it is quite similar”.

She said community prosperity was a challenge.

“I am keen to work with the council and the community to make sure Eurobodalla continues to be a highly valued environment, whether that be the natural, the built or the tourism environment,” she said.

“The tourism dollar is more and more difficult to attract. Local government has to provide services in a quality way that is not going to continually increase the burden on the ratepayer.”

She looks forward to “working with the community on the townships and where they move to”.

“How they continue to be prosperous is a key issue.”

She said the shire’s ageing population, unemployment, school retention, health services and transport demanded strong advocacy with other tiers of government.

 “We need to put strong cases to the state and federal government and also ask, ‘what is our solution to those ongoing issues?’,” she said.

“Advocacy and partnerships are critical.”

With deft understatement, Dr Dale described the notorious Kings Highways as “an interesting road” after braving it on her way down from Canberra to be interviewed.