December 9, 2021- COUNCIL FOCUSES ON COMMUNITY AND FUTURE AS LONG STANDING LEGAL MATTERS DRAWS TO A CLOSE

Cassowary Coast Regional Council Chief Executive Officer Andrew Graffen has advised a notice of discontinuance has been issued in relation to a long standing legal matter between Ex CEO and a Bingil Bay couple.

Council had unanimously resolved at Council meeting 25 November 2021 to advise former Council CEO Mr James Gott that Council had no appetite to continue the indemnification of the matter if there was no prospect to recover costs or damages.

“Whilst resolution of this matter is important, it is also critical to put in perspective that we have almost 30,000 residents in the Cassowary Coast for whom our hard working and passionate team deliver a diverse range of services. 

“Council is mindful this has been a prolonged case and the community now deserves our full attention and support recovering from COVID-19 and focusing on delivering our aspirational operational plan for 2022,” Mr Graffen said

“I met with Mr Gott and he advised he agreed with Council’s position and saw no advantage or value in continuing to pursue this matter.”
Council were advised by Mr Gott that he had provided instructions to his solicitor to seek agreement with the defendants to discontinue the Defamation Matter. The defendant was provided seven days to consent to resolving the matter. 

Council have been awarded considerable costs in relation to these matters and it is still a focus to explore all avenues to recover these monies.