Baw Baw Shire Council extends contract of CEO Mark Dupe

Baw Baw Shire Council has extended the contract of Chief Executive Officer Mark Dupe through to 11 May 2025.  

Mr Dupe joined Baw Baw Shire Council in September 2017 as the Director Corporate and Community Services following several years of Local Government experience as Director Corporate Development at Knox City Council and Group Manager Corporate Services at Bayside City Council. Prior to this, he worked as a senior executive in the private sector. 

Mr Dupe was appointed interim CEO of Baw Baw Shire Council in March 2020, before his formal three-year appointment as CEO on 14 May 2020. In addition to his role at Council, Mr Dupe is an active Board Member of Destination Gippsland and member of the Destination Gippsland Audit and Risk Committee. 

Mr Dupe and his family live in Drouin and are actively involved in the local community. Mr Dupe is an avid golfer and a current member of the Warragul Country Club and his wife, Carrie, is an active member of the Baw Baw Arts Alliance.  

During his time as CEO, Mr Dupe has overseen several key initiatives and service enhancements for the organisation including:

• A review of potential improvements to the Statutory Planning function, including the implementing of new resources leading to enhanced customer service outcomes  
• The finalisation of a new long-term Community Vision (one of the largest community consultation initiatives ever undertaken by Council) 
• The development and adoption of the Council Plan 2021-2025 
• The implementation of new HR Recruitment platforms to generate efficiencies  
• Successfully completed induction of a new Council in 2020 and oversaw the first two budgets of their Council term. 
• Leading Council’s response to the June 2021 storm event 
• An overall upward trend in Community Satisfaction Survey results 
• An upward trend in organisational culture metrics 
• Establishing Council’s key advocacy priorities and introducing a tiered approach to bring greater focus to efforts. 

Under Mr Dupe’s guidance, Council has successfully secured State and Federal Government investment in a number of key infrastructure projects for Baw Baw Shire including but not limited to $3 million towards the Rokeby to Noojee Trail, $6 million towards the Warragul Leisure Centre Stadium Expansion Project, and $3.5 million to support the Baw Baw Culture and Connection Precinct.  

“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue in this position,” said Mr Dupe. “I look forward to being able to continue to grow and develop our organisation’s capacity and to provide even greater outcomes for our community.” 

Mr Dupe’s appointment was confirmed by Council at a confidential Council Meeting held on 28 September 2022.  

Quotes attributable to Mayor Cr Michael Leaney: 

“On behalf of Council, we are pleased to extend the contract of Mark Dupe as Baw Baw Shire Council’s Chief Executive Officer through to May 2025.  

Mark was initially appointed as CEO during the first stages of COVID-19 and navigated this challenging environment with a calm and level-headed leadership approach that has been welcomed and acknowledged across the Councillor group.  

It is well understood that we are experiencing unprecedented growth within the Shire which naturally raises concerns of potential challenges for the organisation to navigate. As a Council, we felt it was important to retain Mark’s guidance and genuine passion for the community to lead the organisation in delivering the best outcomes for Baw Baw Shire and its residents.  

We greatly appreciate the expertise and knowledge that Mark has brought to this organisation during his time at Council and look forward to continuing to work collaboratively and supportively as we prepare for the future ahead.”