At an Extraordinary Council meeting tonight the Council suspended Mr Stapleton on full pay and appointed its Director of City Services Sue Coleman as Acting CEO effective immediately.

The independent external review will be conducted to confirm the authenticity of the work experiences, qualifications, references, and associated claims provided by Mr Stapleton in relation to his application for the role of Director of Property Development Group (PDG) and CEO at City of Parramatta Council.

The review will also examine the accuracy of Mr Stapleton’s declaration of interests under section 449 of the Local Government Act as well as the recruitment of Mr Stapleton to the roles of Director of PDG and CEO at City of Parramatta Council.

A suitably qualified senior individual will be commissioned to lead the inquiries.