New chief executive for Timaru District Council announced

The new boss of the Timaru District Council comes to the role having held the same position for the South Canterbury District Health Board.

Timaru District mayor Nigel Bowen announced Nigel Trainor as its new chief executive on Friday afternoon, after Bede Carran confirmed in June he would not seek reappointment when his contract ends in December.

Bowen said Trainor, who was the health board’s chief executive for nine years until 2021, was chosen after a nationwide search.

Bowen said Trainor’s experience leading large agencies “delivering critical, complex services, combined with a broad knowledge of local issues, made him a great fit for the role’’.

“Being the chief executive of a district council is an incredibly complex and challenging job, even more so in this challenging economic environment, and our panel felt confident that Mr Trainor’s experience was a great fit to take our organisation ahead.

“He also showed a great understanding of how important our people are in delivering the services our community use every day at the same time as ensuring that the community voice was heard in how the organisation is run.’’

Bowen said councillors had confidence the council would be in safe hands with Trainor through a period where it could face some of the most significant changes to local government since amalgamation in the late 1980s.

“While we will still have Bede in place during the handover period I’d like to take the opportunity to thank him for his leadership over the past seven years.

“He’s guided the organisation through some unprecedented times and left it in a good position going ahead.

“He’s also been a strong local advocate, making sure that the Timaru District Council has been front and centre in national and regional conversations about the future of local government.”

Trainor said he was honoured to be appointed to the position.

“I am looking forward to working with the council, staff and the community at bringing to life the plans developed for our community,” he said.

“Like all of us, I have great pride in Timaru and I know that the Timaru District Council team takes great pleasure in serving our community. I will do my very best in leading the team.”

Trainor resigned from the health board top job to take up a position for the then Southern District Health Board as executive director finance, procurement and facilities.

At the time of his resignation, then board chair Ron Luxton said Trainor created a “truly unique health system’’ with a focus on equity.

In 2016, Trainor introduced the position of general manager Māori health (now director and associate director Māori health) and drove a commitment which saw the inclusion of the local Kia Tika te Ara – creating the pathway, as part of the offering for staff professional development, Luxton said at the time.

Carran, previously a chief executive of the neighbouring Waimate District Council, was appointed to the role in Timaru in August 2016, starting in the position four months later.

Carran’s tenure had included overseeing four restructures within five years with several senior managers leaving, the resignation of seven senior staffers from Timaru’s CBay acquatic centre in December 2022, and the council’s decision to purchase a gang pad at the centre of gang tensions in the town as well as three other gang-linked properties.

That land was now for sale, with the private tender process closing on Thursday at noon.

In June 2021, councillors voted to extend Carran’s contract for a further two years, effective from his December anniversary, taking him through until the end of this year.

However, that decision was made amid some controversy, with not all councillors voting in favour of the extension.

Councillors held that discussion, which was tabled in the agenda to take place behind closed doors, in the open council meeting after councillor Stu Piddington shared advice of Local Government New Zealand that there was no reason to discuss it public-excluded.

During that discussion, councillor Allan Booth questioned whether the democratic process had been followed, saying he had not been notified of a meeting when Carran’s performance was considered. His concerns were echoed by Piddington who said he also had not been invited to that meeting.

Trainor would take up the position on December 4.