A brush with serious illness has led Julian Murphy to resign from his position as chief executive of the Shire of Plantagenet, where he will finish in late July.
Mr Murphy, who has a local government career spanning 30 years, has decided it’s a good time to concentrate on his recovery.
He has not called time on his working life just yet but said he doubts he will take on another full-time role and will definitely take his foot off the gas for the rest of 2026.
“There have been a few things that led to my decision, primarily that I have been in local government for 30 years, 25 of which have been as CEO,” he said.
“I had a medical situation last year and needed time off as a result of that so I feel now’s the time to step away and recover properly.
“When you are confronted by a life-threatening situation you tend to re-evaluate so I’m admitting I’m still not 100 per cent and need to take the time to get well.
“I want to spend more time with the children and grandchildren, and start to live a healthier lifestyle.”
He came to the Shire of Plantagenet in 2023 from the Shire of Katanning and, prior to that, the Shire of Corrigin, all of which he said had been a mix of enjoyable and challenging.
“Local government is a challenging industry which is heavily regulated,” he said.
“Some people could find that frustrating, but it’s enjoyable to see the issues in a community and to go about improving them and inspiring them.
“That’s generally the role of the CEO — that’s what you’re here for and if you don’t want to do that, it’s time to get a different job.”
He said he had enjoyed dealing with people, bringing a humanistic approach to the staff he has worked with.
“I always want staff to be able to act in a manner with which they are comfortable and to enjoy coming to work,” he said.
He was reluctant to pick one project as a favourite but did say Katanning’s Six Towns project was one of the most challenging.
Picked as a SuperTown by the State Government in 2011, Katanning received Royalties for Regions money to revitalise its town centre and undertake other projects.
“It was a rare time when there was funding and the will to get things done and we were able to invest in infrastructure and build a new shire admin building,” Mr Murphy said.
Plantagenet shire president Len Handasyde said Mr Murphy had served the council well in his time.
“He brought order and assisted the shire greatly in his three years,” Cr Handasyde said.
“He will be missed.
“He has brought good progress into the public space and furthered the main programs that had struggled in the lead-up to his arrival.
“We appreciate his efforts in that regard.”
The council will now start the process of appointing a new chief executive with an advertisement likely in early May, Mr Murphy said.
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