Published on Friday, 20 February 2026 at 3:00:00 PM

Appointment of Chief Executive Officer

Following a thorough and competitive recruitment process, the Shire of Yilgarn’s Council is delighted to announce that Ben Forbes has been endorsed as the Shire of Yilgarn’s new Chief Executive Officer.

Ben will be returning to the Shire of Yilgarn after 3 years as the Executive Manager Corporate Services at the Shire of Narembeen. As a Chartered Accountant with several years in small business taxation advice, Ben brings a unique balance of local government and commercial experience to the role that Council believes will align with our values and the strategic priorities.

Ben has provided the following statement following his appointment:

I am deeply honoured by the faith placed in me by the Shire of Yilgarn’s Councillors. I have a deep love and appreciation of Yilgarn and its residents from the time that I spent working for the Shire as the finance manager back in 2021 and 2022. I’m so thrilled to have the opportunity to live and work in the community again.

As the Shire’s new Chief Executive Officer, I will strive to work with Council, staff and the community to ensure that our operations are efficient and effective, that our facilities and infrastructure are appropriately managed and that we are transparent, approachable and accountable.

Cr Bryan Close

Shire President

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