Appointment process ‘tidied up’

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Two Gisborne Holdings directors who are overdue to retire by rotation will be allowed to stay on until April 30.

Gisborne district councillors voted to retain the directors on the council-controlled trading organisation's board until a review of Gisborne Holdings is completed.

Only councillor Tony Robinson voted against allowing the directors to stay on until April 30, preferring instead that they were immediately removed from the board.

Councillor Kerry Worsnop was absent from yesterday's extraordinary council meeting and councillor Meredith Akuhata-Brown left before the vote.

Anomalies in director appointments for Gisborne Holdings became clear late last year, with the reappointment of chairman Rob Telfer.

His retirement by rotation led to a vacancy on the board that was advertised in November.

The council's board appointment policy stipulates three-year terms for board directors and tenures limited to six years, or nine years in exceptional circumstances.

Accordingly, Ming Lim-Pollard, who was appointed to the board on December 1, 2016, and Peter Reeves, who was first appointed in 2009, should have been due for retirement.

Cr Robinson said the appointment process conducted late last year, following the retirement by rotation of Mr Telfer, meant there were candidates for the two directorships that the council may be able to re-engage.

It was also a matter of credibility and a good opportunity to define council expectations as it conducted a service delivery review of the holding company, Cr Robinson said.

Councillor Terry Sheldrake said it was clear the appointment process had been a mess and it was good it was being tidied up.

He supported the recommendation to allow the two directors to stay on and contribute to the service review.

A report to councillors notes part of the problem has been a difference in the council's board appointment policy and the Gisborne Holdings constitution, which does not stipulate an appointment term.

The resolution adopted by councillors yesterday means the constitution will be amended — at a special general meeting to be held before the company's 2020 AGM — to include a tenure in line with the council's policy.