New Halls Creek CEO Sue Leonard aims to restore trust and drive economic growth

After three CEOs in five years and two investigations into corruption, taking on the top job at the Shire of Halls Creek would give anyone pause for thought — even with the $246,300 pay packet. But not Sue Leonard. Nine weeks into her new role as Halls Creek shire CEO, Ms Leonard said she was determined to improve governance and restore trust to the community. Ms Leonard conducted her first media interview with Seven West Media to set out her plans for the town and how she will lead the Shire following six turbulent months since the resignation of former CEO Phil Cassell and a consequent investigation into misconduct. Mr Cassell’s sudden departure amid allegations of misconduct was an all to familiar story for the weary residents of Halls Creek, who saw former CEO Rodger Kerr-Newell investigated by the Crime and Corruption Commission and then sacked in 2018. Ms Leonard said, unlike the recent history, she hoped to see out her five-year tenure and focus on projects that stimulated economic development “Five years is certainly what I’ve signed up for. But at the end of the day, that’s up to the community and the council, and it’s really based on my performance and the deliberate outcomes and the willingness of everyone in the shire to get on board the train for the change that’s needed,” she said. Ms Leonard acknowledged the community had a “history of mistrust” towards the Shire. “They haven’t seen the outcomes for many, many, many years,” she said. She said she hoped to improve trust by delivering on promises and instilling a culture of accountability and transparency among shire staff. “My role as a CEO is to ensure we deliver what we agree to deliver, and that it’s done in an open, transparent and accountable manner, and that the people that we employ are doing the right thing,” Ms Leonard said. “So that’s about culture. It’s about employing the right people, but it’s also about culture. “The work for me is addressing some of the things that have developed over years, in terms of the way we do our business. Some of the projects that have been progressed, like the oval, where a procurement policy hasn’t been followed. She agreed the oval was “not in great shape”, but expected it would be ready for training before next year’s footy season. Ms Leonard is no stranger to Halls Creek or the East Kimberley. During her long and varied career leading community organisations and with her background as a linguistics teacher, she has worked in numerous roles throughout the Kimberley and Pilbara. Ms Leonard was CEO of the nearby Warmun community between 2018 and 2020, and in 1991 she worked at the Kimberley Language Resource Centre in Halls Creek. “I love this area,” she said. “So for me, Halls Creek is a melting pot of language and culture. It’s really got a lot to offer as a destination. I like the people and the communities. “People are really resilient here. They are really tough.” She agreed Halls Creek had its challenges, with few ratepayers, high levels of unemployment, chronic overcrowding in houses, and high rates of youth crime and low school attendance. “My job isn’t easy, I can’t say I’ve found an easy one,” she said. “Yes, there are some major issues, but we need to balance that with the strengths of communities and really look at how we can work together to make the change that everybody is seeking. “And I guess that’s why I wanted to be the CEO here, was to come back to a place that I really believe in. I really believe (it) does have the potential, and if we all work together, then we can achieve great things.” Ms Leonard said the shire’s list of priorities for her tenure were as follows: Establishing a light industrial area in anticipation of the new freight route into the East Kimberley with the sealing of the Tanami Road. A pipeline of social housing options in Halls Creek. A tourist park, roadhouse and heavy transport assembly area. A cultural centre and evacuation hub. A youth and family hub. An airport expansion. Sealing roads from the Tanami Highway to remote communities. Ms Leonard said the list was all about economic development, job creation, social cohesion and providing meaningful futures for young people. “This community has a lot of young people, and they are going to need jobs in the future,” she said.