Mayor Peta Pinson, deputy mayor Lisa Intemann, Cr Sharon Griffiths and Cr Geoff Hawkins will represent Port Macquarie-Hastings Council on the panel.

A recruitment consultant will be a non-voting panel member.

The resignation of general manager Craig Swift-McNair, who left in June to take up an appointment as general manager at Woollahra Municipal Council, triggered the recruitment process to fill the top job.

In the meantime, Jeffery Sharp has stepped into Port Macquarie-Hastings Council's GM role until further notice.

A report to the July council meeting said the general manager role was critical to the success of the organisation.

Accordingly, the report said it was recommended council engage a recruitment company with experience in recruiting local government general managers to assist in the facilitation of the recruitment process.

A general manager recruitment selection panel will be convened.

The panel has been delegated tasks which include determination of a recruitment company and development of a recruitment brief and information packs in consultation with all councillors and the recruitment firm.

The panel also has the job of shortlisting candidates for initial round interviews, determining the composition of the initial interview panel, conducting initial round interviews and shortlisting candidates for final round interviews.

The final round interviews will be conducted by all councillors.

Cr Rob Turner said everyone acknowledged recruiting a general manager was an important initiative.

He said the process being stepped forward was a good process and it was a tried and true process.

All councillors will be kept informed of key stages along the way.

Cr Intemann said the four councillors on the panel would be involved in all stages, and importantly, all councillors were to be involved in developing the recruitment brief and the information packs and presumably the position description and the essential and desirable criteria.

She said all councillors would be involved in the final interviews.

Cr Intemann said the four councillors nominated for the panel would do the processing work through the whole process but all councillors would be involved at those crucial points.

She said this was a very important task, particularly for the mayor to coordinate.

Cr Pinson said this was a very important process the council needed to go through.

What else is making news, sport?

Thank you for valuing local journalism with your subscription. While you're with us, you can also receive updates straight to your inbox from the Port Macquarie News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up here.