Executive Team

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 

Dean Unsworth

Dean Unsworth is a Certified Practicing Accountant and member of CPA Australia. After over a decade in the media industry in management and journalism roles, he entered tourism with the Busselton and Dunsborough Tourism Association.  Entering Local Government in 2000, he spent time at the City of Bunbury, the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes as Deputy CEO, and as Chief Executive of the Shire of Gnowangerup prior to become Chief Executive of the Shire of Murray in 2007. Since September 2019, Mr Unsworth has also headed up the Shire of Waroona in a dual CEO role with both local governments.

Mr Unsworth has a strong focus on positive and balanced economic, social and environmental development.

DIRECTOR CORPORATE SERVICES

Ashleigh Nuttall

Ashleigh is responsible for Finance, Annual Budgets & Rates, Long Term Financial Plans, Customer Service, Information Technology, Records Management, and Ranger Services.

Ashleigh is passionate about Local Government as a productive and rewarding career opportunity for those with a passion for working in and developing a local community.

DIRECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES

Patrick Steinbacher

Patrick heads up the Infrastructure Services Directorate which is responsible for the management of public works infrastructure such as roads, public parking and parks and gardens.  Other tasks that fall under this directorate are waste management and works fleet management.  Patrick joined the Shire in 2011 as a consultant and was appointed to his current role as Director in July 2014.  With a background in earthmoving and construction and a Diploma of Civil Engineering, Patrick now has a twenty year career working in virtually every role in the works and services field for several local governments throughout Western Australia as an employee and during a six year stint as a self-employed consultant to the LG industry.  With his team, Patrick is committed to achieving improved, innovative and sustainable outcomes both now and into the future.   

ACTING DIRECTOR PLACE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

David Arkwright

Mr Dave Arkwright has been appointed the Acting Director Place and Economic Development.  David was born into a farming family in Zimbabwe in 1952 – dairy and tobacco farm and schooled in Zimbabwe.  He went to university in South Africa in 1972 – studied Town and Regional Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg returning to Zimbabwe 1975 and did 4 years military service. Following that he left Zimbabwe in 1980 for South Africa and spent the next 27 years in various roles, including working for the European Union, the World Bank and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

Major projects undertaken in the period 1980 to 2007 included the Maputo Corridor project, the Wild Coast Tourism initiative and the Land Restitution program. David came over to Western Australia in 2007 under a sponsorship from the State Government, and joined the Department of Planning. He joined the Peel Development Commission in 2009 and was involved in a number of major projects including the Peel Water Reuse Scheme, the Transform Peel program and the Western Australian Food Innovation Precinct.

David joined the Shire of Murray in 2018 as Manager Investment Attraction, working on a number of existing and new projects and driving the economic development agenda.

David is married to Sarah who teaches science and french at Mandurah Baptist College. They have two boys – Stephen who works for Newmont Gold and Chris who works for Cutts Engineering in Manjimup.

ACTING DIRECTOR OF PLANNING & SUSTAINABILITY 

Rod Peake

Rod is responsible for Planning Services, Building Services, Environmental Health and Environmental Services at the Shire of Murray. Appointed to the position of Director of Planning and Development Services in January 2008, Rod has extensive experience in urban planning and development assessment, Rod has previously held various positions with outer metro growth local governments, including the Cities of Joondalup and Wanneroo. During his career, Rod has been responsible for a range of significant projects including structure plans for major urban and industrial growth areas, town centre planning and revitalisation projects, a range of planning and environmental strategies and significant infrastructure schemes. Rod is qualified with a Bachelor of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning from Curtin University, and a Graduate Diploma in Business (Management) from Edith Cowan University, and is a corporate member of the Planning Institute of Australia.