Following on from the March 16th Ordinary Council meeting, where a motion was put forward regarding the appointment of a Shire Monitor to improve operations and culture among Shire employees and councillors, it has been decided by the WA Local Government Inspector that this will occur, with an absolute majority of five councillors voting in favour of a recommendation being put to him.
The possibility was first raised following the findings of a psychosocial risk report commissioned in late 2025, as reported in The Examiner (March 19).
Local Government Inspector Tony Brown has chosen to appoint Ms Dominique Mecoy OAM as the local government Monitor for the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale.
Ms Mecoy has a very varied background, having experience in elite sport, science, zoos, food industry, cemeteries and the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
Most notably, she has served as the CEO of Leadership WA, a well-known organisation with the stated aim of: “championing leadership and creating stronger communities across Western Australia, as well as creating experiences that develop courageous leaders, promote enduring connections and generate meaningful impact for the benefit of all Western Australians.”
Additionally, she has supported several charities, including fundraising through sport for breast cancer research and youth mental health.
Ms Mecoy is to perform the monitor assignment as set out in the Terms of Appointment, and her position will take effect from 4 May 2026 until 3 July 2026.
Her role will have a strong focus on helping implement the recommendations of the 2025 Psychosocial Risk report, conducted by WHS company Epigroup. Expected costs for the Monitor’s services are expected to be between $750 and $900 per day.
Shire President Rob Coales said he welcomed the appointment of Ms Mecoy as Monitor and that the council looked forward to working constructively with her throughout the term of her appointment.
Serpentine Jarrahdale will be the fifth WA council to receive a Monitor, in addition to the City of Perth, City of South Perth, City of Nedlands and Town of Port Hedland, but it is the only one to have a monitor appointed at their own request.
