Following our news story about Nigel Morris’ appointment as CEO of Alexandrina Council, we thought we would check in on how things are going so far, and also to try to get a picture of what makes Nigel tick.

Nigel left his position as CEO of the District Council of Yankalilla in March this year. It was the latest move in a succession of increasingly senior positions working at councils for him. Councils are often referred to as the third tier of government, although Nigel hurries to disabuse me of that notion. He would argue that local government is actually the first tier. After all, it’s the level of government that is the most connected to the community, and provides those everyday services and infrastructure many of us often take for granted. The CEO role is a non-political one, with primary responsibility for implementing the decisions taken by the elected Council.

Nigel grew up on a rural property outside of Wagga Wagga in New South Wales. His first full time job was at Wagga city council. He was inspired by his father, who went to university as a mature age student to study information technology (IT). Like his dad, Nigel went on to study IT as well. The discipline was in its infancy back in those days, but in many ways what he learned has been a cornerstone of Nigel’s success. For many years, he travelled extensively around Australia when he worked in the IT industry for software system suppliers. Nigel joined the Adelaide City Council in 2005. From there, he became information systems manager at the City of Burnside from 2008 to 2015. After a well-publicised period of turmoil at that council, Nigel was thrust into the position as Acting General Manager. He relished the challenge, as his years of travel and IT background had helped develop his ideas about what makes organisations better and how to run them more efficiently.

In 2015, Nigel went to the District Council of Yankalilla for his first stint as CEO. It was a satisfying time for him. He enjoys the ‘building for the future’ aspect of managing regional councils. Nigel’s background also gave him an understanding of how new technologies can improve the everyday life of communities. A Smart City is one that uses information and communication technologies to increase operational efficiency, share information with the public and improve both the quality of government services and citizen welfare. Smart City jargon often populates the pages of council vision statements and future plans. While Nigel implemented some Smart City initiatives at Yankalilla, he cautions that the challenge is always prioritising community needs over being “cool”.

The attraction of a larger budget, a larger area and population, as well as larger team to manage led Nigel to the Alexandrina Council. His vision is to build a team and a culture that better connects with the community. He also moved to Middleton, rather than commute from Adelaide, as he had in his previous position. That said, it was a tricky move to manoeuvre. He notes that Alexandrina covers such a large area that choosing to live in one location over another was always going to be somewhat contentious, particularly given the often-competing interests of coast and non-coast inhabitants. Nigel is determined to connect. Although he says he still cops it from locals for his interstate accent! The South Aussie long ’a’ may just be a step too far, he jokes.

As for the present, apart from managing the new construction works at the Goolwa Wharf Precinct, Nigel has noted that the cost-of-living and inflation have overtaken health management as the primary issue causing most distress for the Council’s residents. Financial stress is increasingly evident he observes. It’s yet another factor that needs to be borne in mind for a hard-working CEO. His job involves a balancing act between the many competing needs at what is a very challenging time.

To end our chat on a lighter note, I ask Nigel about his top Fleurieu-focused tips and suggestions.

Best place to ...

●     Grab a quick bite … Mother Duck for perfect eggs, next to the Council Office on Cadell Street, Goolwa.

●     Have a more serious or celebratory feed … Lake Breeze at Langhorne Creek for great food and wine

●     Get a cuppa … he gets his coffee from Jack’s Place, also on Cadell Street

●     Taste some wine (or just enjoy the winery atmosphere) ... Nigel loves Italian-style reds. Maxwell’s at McLaren Vale is a favourite. For something a little different, he says that Samson Tall Wines, located in a renovated church on Strout Road at McLaren Vale, is well worth a visit

●     Explore nature or exercising … To unwind, Nigel indulges in his passion for extreme (or Xtreme) gardening. He also just made a commitment to the team at the Fleurieu Aquatic Centre to get in shape!

When on the Fleurieu or KI, he …

feels … lucky to have everything on his doorstep. He loves the ocean views as he’s driving along Flagstaff Hill Road at Middleton

Weirdest thing that’s happened to me here:

Seeing a goat wearing a hat, while it was wandering around Yankalilla

Most colourful character I’ve run into:

Nigel’s not the first person to nominate Chester D'Arenberg of The Cube at McLaren Vale

My best piece of advice for anyone heading to the region:

Get out and about! There’s more to Alexandrina and the Fleurieu than just the Coast, folks!