The managing director of Victoria’s largest rural water authority, Goulburn-Murray Water, has resigned suddenly.
Pat Lennon’s departure from G-MW was announced late on Friday afternoon.
He has been with GMW for nearly two years.
In July, chair, Joanne Anderson also resigned suddenly.
The former chief executive of Greater Shepparton, Benalla, Brimbank and Hobsons Bay councils, Bill Jaboor, has been appointed interim managing director.
Mr Jaboor is currently a board member of City West Water and will continue in that role.
“Bill Jaboor is the right Interim managing director, to ensure the ongoing leadership of GMW while transformation continues at pace,” GMW chairman Diane James said.
“I am grateful Bill has agreed to bring his ample expertise to GMW as Interim Managing Director,” she said.
“The search for a permanent Managing Director begins immediately.”
Ms James said she was dedicated to implementing the 30 recommendations from the Strategic Advisory Panel that was put in place to ensure the transformation of GMW.
“I am committed to ensuring the successful transformation of GMW to ensure we can deliver sustainable and affordable services for our customers.”
In January, the panel identified GMW needed to achieve significant annual savings in operating and capital expenditure, particularly in the gravity irrigation business, in addition to those it had already identified to maintain its overall financial sustainability.
Increasing prices significantly to address the issue would adversely impact Goulburn Murray Irrigation District (GMID) producers’ competitiveness.
The panel, charged with the review of GMW’s operations, found achieving this level of savings over and above the initiatives and efficiencies that GMW has already identified to 2022 would require GMW go well beyond ‘business as usual’.
“ Indeed, it requires an urgent and significant transformation to GMW’s business and how it operates,” the panel found.