City of Perth leadership instability intensifies as executive manager Wendy Attenborough calls it quits

The exodus of staff from the City of Perth is continuing, with another executive leader the latest to leave the troubled local government. General manager community development Wendy Attenborough, who last year spent time as the city’s acting CEO, has resigned and will work her last day Friday. Her departure will further weaken the city’s CEO alliance and governance team, which the council was warned in March was already “significantly depleted” and struggling to complete basic operations. A City of Perth spokesperson confirmed Ms Attenborough’s resignation. “The city can confirm that general manager community development Wendy Attenborough has tendered her resignation, effective Friday 3 July,” they said. “Recruitment is underway to appoint a new general manager community development.” The City of Perth would not provide information on the costs to recruit and hire replacement staff, how many senior members had departed the city in the 2025-26 financial year, or whether it was concerned with the number of senior staff members leaving. Ms Attenborough became acting CEO last December after former acting CEO Peta Mabbs quit amid drama around a council decision to establish a workplace culture review that staff said was unlawful and procedurally flawed. The city’s CEO, Michelle Reynolds, who has been in the role for six years, has been suspended since May after the council was put on notice by Local Government Inspector Tony Brown. On Tuesday night, the council voted behind closed doors to keep its general manager sustainability Maria Cooke as acting CEO until either Ms Reynolds returns to duty or the council makes alternative arrangements. The council also voted that the acting CEO arrangements would be reviewed every three months by its CEO performance review committee, with any extension, replacement or variation to the arrangements requiring full council approval. Ms Cooke cannot stay in the acting role past May 18, 2027. Ms Attenborough has worked at the City of Perth for close to three years, after spending five years as the executive director at Perth Zoo. She said she was unable to comment on her decision to quit at this stage.