A Chapter Closes

Today is a day for a reflective, personal post, because today is a day to reflect on the closing of a chapter.

You see, yesterday was my last day at the Western Metropolitan Regional Council. I worked there for 3 years as the Chief Executive Officer, essentially taking the organisation from a loosely run cooperative into a very focused business. Our daughter was born two weeks after I started there.




I put a lot of work into building systems that meant a tiny organisation (about 15 people) could meet all of the regulations governing local government. We built a lovely little culture that is caring and gentle and kind. We don't do notes in kitchen, or gossip or snarky emails. We chat and laugh and pitch in to help out. And our Earth Carers social media work is absolutely top notch, including the Plastic Free July campaign that has grown from year to year. If you are interested in how powerful social media can be for waste campaigns, have a look at the Earth Carers and Plastic Free July Facebook pages.

For most of my time there, the DiCOM Waste Processing Facility was under construction. It was planned to be completed over a year ago, and I had intended to leave the place with it settled down. That hasn't worked out, and first waste supply will happen under the new CEO. So it goes.

DiCOM is still a very exciting project. Potentially a game changer, enabling the conversion of household rubbish into recyclables, compost and energy with a footprint so small it can be located within a city. I now get to watch from the sidelines.

DiCOM under construction

Not everything worked out while I was there. I wanted the WMRC to be more unifying (one of the Councils in the area is not a member), but could not. I wanted to introduce a regional waste service to save money and make for more consistent services, but could not. I wanted to leave the place in a strong financial position. I don't think I really did that either.

And so now I am gone. I've left behind some beautiful things, and a bunch of people you couldn't hope to work with. People who made it all just happen. In all aspects of the organisation.

I've left behind an office in an amazing old heritage building.

WMRC offices at Wearne House

It is a far cry now from what it was when we first looked in.

Front office of Wearne House - before renovation

I've left behind an office location that is truly incredible. On the beach, letting me swim after work on those hot Perth days.

Wearne House, about 50 metres from the beach at Cottesloe

It's hard to describe the uplifting feeling I'd get every morning as I crested the hill to turn in to work, looking out over the ocean with Rottnest Island in the distance. Even the little glimpses from the driveway showed enough ocean to give a boost.

Ocean view down the driveway

I've left behind my red rocket - a VW Golf GTI. I love that car. It corners like it's on rails, is little, quick, fun, and fantastic seats. Plus, it has a sunroof, such an impractical thing in Perth, but I love it.

The Red Rocket

And finally, I've left behind a good, solid paycheck. Every fortnight I'd get $3,000 in my bank account in return for a 4 day week. Sure, not a great salary by CEO standards, but it gave me a day off per week and the space to develop Garbologie. And above a certain point, it's not really about the money.

So I'm writing this to reflect on a passing. I'm a bit sad, but not too sad. It's more that a chapter has closed, and another is opening. Another awesome, amazing, exciting chapter that I get to explore in all of its twists and turns. Perhaps the point that everything I've done to date has led to. The chapter of Garbologie.

More on that in later posts. For now, however, I want to acknowledge the passing of my time in local government, of the WMRC, of all of the joys that brought.