Dale Dickson

This year has been a crucial one for CEO of City of Gold Coast Dale Dickson. Not only is this his thirtieth year in local government and his tenth with the council as CEO, but he has recently had his contract renewed for another four years following one-on-one negotiations with Mayor Tom Tate. This reflects a confidence in Dale’s ability to lead the council into the future, particularly in light of the 2018 Commonwealth Games to be held on the Gold Coast.

"My career in local government started in 1983 with Melbourne City Council. I was a student at RMIT while working for Melbourne City Council and playing VFL for Melbourne Football Club. Through the 80s, I was effectively working, studying, and playing in what is now the AFL. I then came to Queensland in 1987 and worked with Brisbane City Council, and continued my AFL career with the Brisbane Bears. When the football career finished in the 90s, I moved into senior management, undertook more study, and became the CEO of the Whitsunday Council in Queensland. At the end of the 90s, I came back to the Gold Coast and have been the CEO of City of Gold Coast since 2003".

"In the first five years of my time as CEO here, we were dealing with significant population growth and a development boom coupled with a major infrastructure deficit. The city needed an investment in a range of transport, waste, water, sport, social, economic, and other public infrastructure. Going back a decade, we didn’t have the two beautiful stadiums we have today—Metricon, the home of the Gold Coast Suns, and Skilled Park, home of the Gold Coast Titans. During that time, we also endured a series of local political issues which were a distraction".