Q&A with the General Manager Scott Grant

“Life is a combination of magic and pasta”. – Federico Fellini

There is a real sense of renewed focus and new beginnings at Council at the moment. With the recent retirements of Brett Stonestreet and Max Turner we have a new General Manager and a new Director, Cultural & Financial Services in Scott Grant and Matthew Hansen.  We of course welcome both gentlemen to their respective positions but also look forward to the new directions they look to take their roles and our City.

This week of course celebrates A Taste of Italy, a wonderful showcase of Italian culture, food and wine. The week, culminating in Sunday’s sold-out Salami Festival at Pioneer Park has seen many events, including tomorrow’s sidewalk sale and many wineries and restaurants hosting events. Although Griffith is very well known for being a multicultural City, it all started with Italians who began immigrating to Griffith in the early 1900s but increased dramatically in the 1930s. Approximately 60% of Griffith’s population has Italian ancestry and we are richer for their contribution and culture. Head down to the Tourism Hub and find out more about events that are still to be held, more about our Italian history or enjoy tomorrow’s sidewalk sale.

Lastly, there is quite a lot happening in the housing space in and around Griffith. We have been speaking with the developer of the last farm in Collina; they will begin works very soon. The Hanwood Master Plan is continuing to be developed and despite some late changes we hope to see activity out there also. Finally, Lake Wyangan will see a flurry of activity very soon with a $10m grant for roads and drainage from the Federal Government that must be spent by June 30, 2026. These developments will see hundreds of houses built over the next few years.

Stay safe, stay well and above all else be kind to each other and yourself, bye for now.

Mayor,

Doug Curran

“Any new beginning can start now, find the courage to pursue it with all you have.” - Nikki Rowe

As you read this column, our former General Manager Brett Stonestreet has left the building. We have been talking for some time about Brett’s accomplishments and his legacy and one last time I want to thank him. From the bottom of my heart, I truly feel Griffith is a richer, more vibrant City from Brett’s time in charge. So much positive development has taken place, we are turning the corner in regard to the housing shortage, but we have more work to do. I wish Brett and Vicki all the very best for their future endeavours and look forward to seeing them around our City for many years to come.

In saying that, I now want to welcome our new General Manager Scott Grant and his wife Meegan to our City and our Council. Scott brings a new approach that Councillors are excited about, bringing marketing and promotion experience, along with a few years in local government in the Sydney area. Working in senior roles for large private firms such as Cricket Australia and Hyundai Australia means Scott likely will have a different view on how we operate and that truly excites the Councillors. Good luck to Scott and Meegan and I look forward to working closely with Scott and our Senior Management Team on new approaches and vision for Griffith.

We are hopeful to hear the outcome of the Sustainable Communities Program from the NSW State government soon. Council has applied for $3M to upgrade our CBD and City entrances so this could be transformational for our City should we be successful. We did meet with Minister Moriarty in Sydney the week before last so hopefully we have put our best foot forward.

Stay safe, stay well and above all else be kind to each other and yourself, bye for now.

Mayor,
Doug Curran

Friday, 15 August 2025

Q&A with retiring General Manager, Brett Stonestreet

Q: You’ve been with Griffith City Council for 14 years. What are you most proud of achieving during your time here?

When I commenced with Council in 2011 our financial position was not sustainable. I am proud of the fact that we have achieved significant internal cost reduction and identified additional revenue streams (other than rates and charges). These strategies have extended our financial sustainability by more than a decade and enabled Council to leverage significant grants and other partnership capital to build important infrastructure.  

Q: What has been the most rewarding part of your role?

To have the privilege of working with such amazing staff, and this is not a flippant comment.  Here are just three examples.

First up, in 2012 a major organisation restructure was required and this directly impacted several of our staff. This was a difficult time for everyone but I am so proud that our staff as a whole approached this in a mature fashion and got on with the job. 

Secondly, who will ever forget the terrible floods of March 2012? This tragedy impacted so many residents and businesses especially in Yenda, Hanwood and Yoogali.  Griffith City Council staff “stood up when it counted”. Everyone pitched in without question to assist others who needed a helping hand. 

The third example is the resilience of our staff in the face of “working in a fishbowl”. Unlike metropolitan councils, regionally based council staff cannot disappear into anonymity by jumping on a suburban train after work. You all live and work in the same community and this can at times be a very challenging environment. Notwithstanding this you all “keep on keeping on” knowing that you are making a positive difference.     

Q: What will you miss most about working with Council?

My response to the last question probably answers this one as well. Local Government has been central to my life from 18 years of age. Back in 1980 my Dad noticed an advertisement in the “Lyndhurst Shire Chronical” (Blayney Newspaper) for a cadetship at the local Council. My LG story started there. I will really miss everyone associated with Council, but I am determined to keep myself busy and I dare say that local government will probably play a part in that. 

Q: What’s next for you? How do you plan to spend your retirement?

A road trip through central Queensland with Vicki is first up on the agenda then back to our home in Griffith to explore the next chapter. I’ll be doing some work for sure but not on a full-time basis. 

Q: Any final message you’d like to share with the Griffith community?

Thank you for the opportunity to be part of this community and as Griffith always does, “keep the glass half full”.

Friday 8 August 2025 

“Good vibes are nature’s way of telling you that you’re in the right place or with the right person.” – Bruce H. Lipton

Last weekend’s Griffith Business Chamber awards was a stunning evening, spent with some of Griffith’s finest businesses and businesspeople. Well done to all of the winners, but a big call out to Multiquip who won the major award sponsored by Griffith City Council. There are so many wonderful businesses doing great things in our community, from supporting residents as we get a little older, to businesses operating environmentally sustainable practices, ensuring our community is well set up for the future. The economic benefit so many businesses bring to our City is enormous, but they also support our local sporting and service clubs, who in turn make our City a better place to live. Well done again to all nominees and winners, please keep up the great work and our community will continue to support you all.

This week has been rather hectic, with meetings in Sydney, advocating for a better share of the pie for Griffith and our region. We continue to push for a better outcome in regard to water buybacks and housing enabling infrastructure funds, these are Griffith’s two biggest hurdles at the moment in my opinion. We cannot accept to be forgotten and disregarded as we have been in the past, we must continue pushing our case and fighting for our region.

Last week Council released our investment prospectus and also had a presentation on our local economy. There were some really good figures released, and I encourage everyone to grab a copy of the prospectus, it highlights many opportunities that our region continues to see and that we must continue to work towards.

Stay safe, stay well and above all else be kind to each other and yourself, bye for now.

Doug Curran 
Mayor