Council & Business
28 July, 2026
Hepburn council appoints acting CEO
Long time local government executive Janet Dore has been appointed Acting CEO of Hepburn Shire Council.
Ms Dore has served as chief executive of the Transport Accident Commission between 2007 and 2015, and has had several senior local government roles, including the interim CEO of the City of Ballarat in 2020 and many years as the general manager of the City of Newcastle.
Ms Dore will take up the short-term appointment from August 3 to 23, following the recent resignation of former CEO Bradley Thomas.
The new appointment comes as the shire continues to grapple with it’s sudden governance crisis, triggered by multiple private criminal prosecutions. The impasse began in March when former CEO Bradley Thomas and former councillor Don Henderson were served with private criminal charges. Cr Henderson subsequently stood down.
Since then, four more councillors have been forced to step down after facing similar private prosecutions, leaving Hepburn Shire unable to achieve a quorum and preventing any decision-making.
Mr Thomas announced his resignation on June 29.
In a statement released last Friday, Hepburn Shire said Ms Dore’s appointment would provide leadership while the shire worked with the Victorian Government to establish an “appropriate decision-making mechanism”, including the possibility of extending her role as interim chief executive.
“We are pleased Janet will lead the organisation during this period. She brings extensive local government experience, and her appointment provides a clear way forward while recognising that staff and the community are seeking certainty,” they said.
Ms Dore said she was “pleased” to accept the appointment.
“I look forward to working with staff to focus on what matters to the community, including delivering projects and services and working closely with the Victorian Government to support appropriate governance and the return of elected representation,” she said.