CITY of Wanneroo chief executive officer Bill Parker is taking legal action against his former employer with a writ filed against the City of Nedlands in the WA Supreme Court.
Mr Parker worked for the western suburbs’ council before taking up a job with the City of Wanneroo in late 2023.
After the auditor-general said as a whole Nedland’s 2022-23 financial report for audit purposes was submitted “without complete and accurate underlying records” the City of Nedlands on October 18, 2024 issued a press release and a report analysing the factors leading to the auditor-general’s disclaimer of opinion on the financial report.
In the writ – filed on October 15 – Mr Parker alleges both the media release and the report include defamatory imputations causing him reputational damage, hurt and distress.
He is seeking damages, including aggravated damages, costs and injunctions to compel the City of Nedlands to remove the document from its website and to prevent the city from publishing the imputations contained in it.
On December 5, 2023 the City of Wanneroo said the council had voted unanimously in support of Mr Parker’s appointment in August that year, following an extensive recruitment process to identify a strong, visionary and community focused leader to work with the council and administration.
At the time Mr Parker said Wanneroo was “poised for great things, including making huge strides in commercial and industrial growth and shaping the region as a welcoming, inclusive, accessible and thriving place for everyone to live, work and explore”.
“Through agile planning, we will continue to adapt to provide for current and future generations – it’s a privilege to be part of the team behind that vision.”
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