Power Outage – GM’s Fall From Grace at George Town Council

On Saturday 5 August 2023, Shane Power, General Manager of George Town Council (GTC), spent the afternoon in the corporate box at Blue Gum Park watching a seniors Australian rules football match.

He then moved on to the George Town Junior Football Club (GTJFC) 2023 Annual Presentation Dinner which commenced at 5.30pm at the Graham Fairless Centre on Regent Square. Power later made an appearance at Grays Hotel.

Witnesses to the GTJFC Annual Presentation Dinner and later at Grays Hotel, have suggested his alleged drunken and disorderly behaviour has brought the council into disrepute. One witness expressing disgust, has come forward exclaiming that he has damaged the council’s reputation and is asking for Power to be removed from his position as General Manager of GTC.

GTC Mayor Greg Kieser advised Tasmanian Times that Power has taken personal leave with no confirmed date of return, and that the council does not plan to issue a media release or any kind of explanation.

On Tuesday 8 August 2023, the GTC director of corporate and community, Cheryl Hyde, assumed the role of Acting General Manager effective immediately for an indeterminate length of time. Hyde has previously held roles in finance and as an Acting GM.

Hyde has confirmed that councillors have been briefed but she would not provide any more detail on that advice.

The now published Agenda for the upcoming Ordinary Meeting of Council Tuesday 22 August 2023 contains two items in Closed Council. The Acting General Manager’s Employment Schedule and the Employee Code of Conduct.

Councillor Heather Barwick said:

“I am extremely concerned by the allegations, and, if substantiated, I will urge council to take appropriate action in line with the conditions of the General Managers contract and the Employee Code of Conduct Policy. This is a matter that the council will discuss in closed session on Tuesday this week.”

Heather Barwick was first elected to the George Town Council in March 1989 and is the longest continuously serving councillor, was Deputy Mayor for two years and was the first female Mayor of George Town in 1995.

President Kerry Daniels from the George Town Junior Football Club indicated that Power attended the GTJFC presentation dinner in a private capacity.

Footage from a mobile phone video which was circulating on social media shows Power on stage delivering his speech to the young players, at which point he spreads his arms to each side and then lets the expensive microphone drop to the floor from his hand. This video has since been taken down.

Witnesses at the event were of the understanding Power was there in his official capacity as GM, and have confirmed that David Rao, GTC Team Leader of Community, was also at the dinner with the GM. Power had earlier resigned from the GTJFC at the beginning of this season.

Councillor Winston Archer was in attendance at the awards dinner along with his young son, and has confirmed he was a witness to the evening but is unable to comment in his position as an elected representative of GTC.

“Any public comments are a matter for the spokesperson of council and that is Mayor Greg Kieser,” said Archer.

When Tasmanian Times made contact with a member of the GTJFC who is alleged to have played a part in having Power removed from the building and then locking the door after him, he declined to comment and referred our media inquiries to Kerry Daniels, the Club President.

Daniels initially declined to comment but has since responded the following day to our questions. Daniel’s is also an employee of the GT Council and was employed by Power.

Whilst Daniel’s has since provided comment, her responses are in contradiction to witnesses who are alleging that during the event Power was drunk and disorderly, that Power abused a woman at the event, and that he told a young player before the award was due to be presented, who was to later win the ‘best and fairest’ award, that he was the winner of that award.

It has also been reported that female staff at the event attempted to lock Power in the kitchen.

Following his alleged behaviour, to include allowing the microphone to drop to the floor, Power was asked to leave to which he responded “you cannot evict me … I am the General Manager and I have a master key.”

It is further alleged that when Power did leave, the door was locked behind him and that another person at the dinner then needed to take Power’s distressed young son home.

A witness has commented; “it is no wonder the door to the venue was locked to protect the young children,” and that “parents attending this event were distressed and angry.”

Club President Kerry Daniels has confirmed it was a fund-raising event and that all staff do carry responsible service of alcohol certificates. The GTJFC do not have an alcohol and drug policy. Both the senior and junior football clubs have a relationship with the council who recently worked with the clubs to upgrade the playing surface.

The George Town Council do have a Fitness for Work (Alcohol and Drugs) policy and an Employee Code of Conduct Policy and copies of these have been provided to Tasmanian Times.

Following his exit from the GTJFC event, Power was next seen at Grays Hotel where it is alleged he approached a young eighteen year old female, attempted to make conversation, and at one stage was seen to “be in her face” and to have inappropriately touched her. It was observed by staff and others that the young woman appeared very uncomfortable with his conduct and contact.

A young man then approached Power and told him he needed to go, and to leave the girl alone. Another man who was with Power suggested he was fine.

When the young man told Power he was a sleaze, Power allegedly ‘shirt fronted’ the young man, and the barmaid who had been observing for some time then asked Power to leave. Power allegedly staggered to the door, turned around and said:

“I am leaving and if anyone wants to come and join me I will be waiting for you outside.”

This was directed to the young man and others at the bar, and according to the witness, if it were not for others holding back the young man he would have taken up the invitation.

Power commenced in the role of General Manager with the George Town Council 21 January 2019.

A contemporary GTC media release stated “At interview Shane demonstrated he has the energy, the experience and the style of leadership which will suit George Town both now and into the future. We have signed Shane to a five (5) year contract and we hope he will be with us for a longer period to build our community and our lifestyle into what we want to make it.”

GTC Annual reports show that in 2019/2020 Power’s total annual salary of $226,708 was up $56,701 on the previous GM total salary, with a further increase of $31,331 in 2021/2022 to $258,039.

His salary for this current financial year is not yet available in an Annual Report and GTC have declined to comment at this time. GM salaries are mostly publicly available from councils and such secrecy is unusual.

Power’s current recently extended employment contract is through until May 2027 with reports his salary package is now just under $300,000.

George Town has a population of around 7,200 with GTC’s revenue for 2022/2023 forecast to be $9.8m. Along with King Island, Tasman and Central Highlands, George Town Council is one of the lowest income councils in Tasmania.

On salary-as-a-percentage-of-revenue this puts Power at 3.06% which is the highest out of all 29 Tasmanian councils. Using data from the 2021/2022 Annual Report where his salary package is reported as $258,039, this still puts him at 2.65% of revenue which is still the highest paid GM in the state based on council revenue.

It appears common knowledge in both the local George Town and the West Tamar communities that Power applied for the General Manager’s position at the West Tamar Council following the departure of their GM Rolph Vos in March 2023. Power then went on to negotiate a higher salary package back at George Town Council in order for GTC to retain him as their GM.

There are calls from the community for Power to be removed from his position on the George Town Council based not only on his recent spree but other incidents of poor behaviour. One such episode in 2020 ended with Power having to make an apology after swearing at a member of the public.

In the GTC Employee Code of Conduct Policy it is very clear under Policy Coverage section 3(c)(iii): damage or are likely to damage Council’s interests or reputation, that Power has breached the council’s own Code of Conduct Policy. This is also commonly referred to in Code of Conduct parlance as bringing Council into disrepute.

Under the details of Breach of Policy, it is stated that Disciplinary Policy and Procedure is removal from the workplace or termination of services.

Tasmanian Times is not in possession of their DPP Policy at this time, and neither do we have a copy of the General Manager’s employment contract. It is expected however that the conditions of employment for a person of such stature within Council and the community, and of such remuneration and authority, would be even more onerous and unforgiving.

The authority to remove the General Manager rests with a resolution of council by the nine elected councillors and this may well be the discussion to be had at this week’s meeting of Closed Council given the community discontent and urgency of this matter.

At minimum, one would expect a formal request to Mathew Healey, Director Local Government under Section 339 of the Local Government Act 1993 to mount a full and comprehensive investigation whilst Power is stood down from his position on Council.

On reading the Employee Code of Conduct Policy and given the now substantial and corroborated public allegations, it is difficult to accept this would require any involvement from the Office of Local Government, or indeed the Minister, who in the past have tended to leave such matters in the hands of the elected Councillors.

Resignation is another option.

Since Tasmanian Times began inquiries into the matter of the General Manager and the George Town Council, additional information has come to the fore around other matters of possible concern. This includes, but is not limited to, the in excess of a $1.045m spend of ratepayers dollars to purchase the former George Town RSL in August 2020. This happened under the watch of Power and Kieser and it has been slated to become the ‘Mountain Bike Hub’.

Former George Town RSL Building image courtesy The Examiner.

The building was purchased without alternatives being canvassed, and without a proper valuation. Tasmanian Times understands that the General Manager and Mayor signed the purchase contract even before the matter had been voted on George Town Council, thus raising an issue of improper process.

Three years on and the building still remains locked up with no visible or known official progress.

There are reports this building may now require up to a further $1.5m spend in order to remove all the asbestos and to bring the building up to standard and fit for purpose. The government valuation for this building just five years earlier was $533,500.

Then there is the contentious matter of the bike track yet to be completed.

For now, it is apparent the George Town Council are in damage control over the incidents involving their General Manager on 5 August 2023.