The chief executive of the National Trust of South Australia, Nicolette Di Lernia, has resigned just as a parliamentary inquiry into the embattled organisation resumes, with Di Lernia herself among those giving evidence after previously being unavailable to appear.
Inquiry resumes amid leadership shake-up
The parliamentary inquiry, which manages oversight of an organisation responsible for more than 80 historically significant sites across South Australia, is continuing to hear evidence as the Trust navigates significant internal upheaval. Di Lernia's resignation leaves the organisation without a permanent chief executive, with the Trust's Council expected to oversee day-to-day operations while a national recruitment campaign is conducted to find her replacement.
Background to the National Trust SA inquiry
The inquiry was established following a motion put forward by opposition MLC Nicola Centofanti in June, which received unanimous cross-party support in the state's upper house — a sign of how broadly concerns about the Trust's governance had registered across the political spectrum.
Those concerns had been building for several months prior. In February, the leadership of the Trust's Moonta branch was stood down, a move that ultimately led to the closure of multiple heritage sites in the region. The series of disputes prompted growing calls for external scrutiny of how the organisation is being run.
With Di Lernia now appearing before the inquiry and her resignation confirmed, attention will turn to what findings the committee reaches — and who will ultimately be entrusted with steering one of South Australia's most significant heritage bodies back onto stable ground.
