The Mount Gambier City Council has welcomed a new general manager for People, Place and Liveability.


Chris White, a qualified town planner from the United Kingdom, has been appointed to the role.


Mr White has 30 years of experience in the public and private sector, most recently in Victoria and New South Wales. He specialises in planning, placemaking, engagement, community development, tourism, economic development, sport, recreation, arts and culture.


Born in South East England, Mr White studied geography at the University of Huddersfield and continued to follow an interest in urban geography and how places grow and change over time. He completed a postgraduate diploma in town planning at South Bank University, London and travelled throughout England and Scotland in planning and development roles before moving to Australia in January 2012 to work in Victoria’s Mallee region.


“I was working in a very similar portfolio to what I have got here for the Gannawarra Shire Council in Victoria and I then had the opportunity to do a year’s work with the state government, focussing on advocacy for councils across the Mallee,” he said.


In 2017, Mr White moved back into local government in the far north of New South Wales and spent seven years as Kyogle Council’s Director of Planning and Community Development.


He is familiar with Mount Gambier and the wider Limestone Coast region.


“I love the area and feel privileged to have the opportunity to live and work here,” Mr White said.


“This role is an opportunity to work in a space that I’m experienced in, and I have already been made to feel very welcome by the people of the city.”


Mount Gambier’s proximity to the Victorian border also appealed to him.


“I have worked in border communities throughout most of my career. I was involved in establishing the office of the Victorian Cross Border Commissioner when I was with government there,” Mr White said.


“Mount Gambier has a catchment that reaches into Victoria, and I’m interested in the policy and strategy challenge of working across two states, and advocating strongly for the best outcomes for our community and businesses.”


Mr White said he welcomed the professional challenge as the new leader of council’s People, Place and Liveability portfolio.


“I think there’s a great range of opportunities to explore what kind of place the community wants to see Mount Gambier become for coming generations,” he said.


“We are living in a time where people are reconnecting with regional communities more strongly than they have in the past and the possibilities here are different and greater because of that, and our aspirations should match.


“Mount Gambier is clearly changing and I’m all about what we can do as a council to guide and nurture people through that change period and how we can work with the community and businesses to make the city the best version of itself.


“I’m passionate about my work. I think carefully about the places that I move to and when I get there, I care for them deeply and I want the best for them.”


In the short term, Mr White said he planned to focus on developing a deeper understanding of the city and council and also join the social soccer competition.


“My intention is to get to know the community and find out how it works, I’ll be doing as much listening as talking and I look forward to enjoying the city’s strong sporting culture outside of work,” he said.


Council chief executive Sarah Philpott said the former City and Community Growth senior management position has been vacant since July 2023.


“The General Manager People, Place and Liveability is not a new role, it’s one of the three general manager positions within council’s organisational structure, formerly titled City and Community Growth,” she said.


“We held this position vacant for the past 18 months while we applied internal resources to achieve strategic work objectives such as Mount Gambier – 2035 community vision and our strategic plan.


“We have also rethought the focus of this role considering what the community told us through the community vision. It will concentrate on how we connect people and places, how we guide the urban form, how we think about growth and what makes a city an inviting and meaningful place to live, work, set up a business or visit.


“The role will also focus on the city’s people, supporting and enabling community capacity, learning and artistic participation and creativity.”


“We are very excited to have Chris on board with us.”