Mr Whittaker is leaving to take up a new position as general manager of the Sunshine Coast Council in Queensland.

He applied for the position in April, he said.

He started a new contract with Wyong Council on May 18, after negotiations over a period of months.

‘‘I’ve been given an opportunity to go to the fourth-largest council in Australia, and you can’t let career opportunities like this go by,’’ Mr Whittaker said.

He gave notice on Friday, but would be remaining until September, he said.

He conceded Wyong Council was experiencing difficult times, but said they were difficult times ‘‘politically’’.

Wyong councillor Bob Graham said Mr Whittaker wished him the best of luck.

‘‘It is a surprise because we only renewed his contract a few months ago,’’ Cr Graham said.

Wyong Council has suffered a series of blows in the past few months, with its proposal for a stand-alone Central Coast university, regional airport and business park roundly criticised, and questions about the council’s handling of developments owned by Wyong mayor Doug Eaton’s family companies.

The council was also the subject of more negative criticism this week with news of Mr Eaton’s wife Ruby’s undisclosed shares in a company owned by the Chappypie China Theme Park project.

Mr Eaton told the Herald on Tuesday neither he or his wife had any knowledge of the shares until contacted for comment.

A back-up plan negotiated by Lake Macquarie and Gosford councils would see Wyong Council disappear if their proposals to remain stand-alone councils are not accepted by the NSW Government.

Councillor Luke Nayna this week signalled he was leaving Wyong council, before the end of his first term, to start a job in Canberra.

Mr Nayna worked in the office of Dobell MP Karen McNamara until last week.