At the Extraordinary Meeting of Council on Tuesday 15 June 2021, Dubbo Regional Council (DRC) resolved to appoint Pinnacle Integrity to act as an independent investigator. Council unanimously resolved in May 2021 to engage an independent investigator to ensure that complaints received by Council in the current term had been appropriately assessed and handled in accordance with Council's Complaints Management Policy and the Procedures for the Administration of the Dubbo Regional Council Code of Conduct.
DRC CEO Mr Murray Wood said Pinnacle Integrity is a prominent and trusted organisation in their field. "Pinnacle Integrity are very experienced in sensitive workplace issues including internal investigations, staff cultural reviews, grievance handling as well as incident and safety investigations. They are specialists in local government investigations and have managed a number of investigations for council's across NSW," said Mr Wood. "I am very confident they will deliver on the objectives set by Councillors and DRC will fully co-operate with Pinnacle Integrity's investigation."
The investigation will involve a combination of desktop research and in-person interviews with relevant staff and community members. Pinnacle Integrity will be given access to Council's policies procedures, complaints management policy, and other relevant documentation. All correspondence relating to complaints received over the term of Council will also be provided to investigators.
At the completion of investigations a report will be tabled at the July Ordinary Meeting outlining any identified issues in line with DRC's Code of Conduct Policy.
