Kevin Atkinson dropped as chairman for Hawke's Bay in DHB shakeup

Kevin Atkinson, reconsidering DHB position after minister's snub. Photo / File

The ditching of long-serving Kevin Atkinson from the chairmanship of the Hawke's Bay District Health Board, appointment of an out-of-town deputy and a lack of Napier representation have been confirmed in a range of announcements by Minister of Health.

Atkinson, initially a government-appointed board member but now top-polling public elect at four consecutive elections, has been chairman for 19 of his 20 years.

Remaining on the board but now reconsidering his position, he is being replaced as chairman by board newcomer, Bank of New Zealand head of Maori business and former HBDHB Maori health manager Shayne Walker, one of 13 board heads in Minister David Clark's sweeping changes to government appointments to boards throughout the country.

All four government appointees in Hawke's Bay will be new to the board, including new deputy, Todd Property Group managing director and Auckland businessman Evan Davies, replacing retiring deputy and former Mayor of Napier Barbara Arnott.

The other Hawke's Bay appointees are Joanne Edwards (wife of former All Blacks captain Taine Randell) and Mohaka man Charles Lambert, who was recently elected to the Hawke's Bay Regional Council having previously had one term on the Wairoa District Council.

Shayne Walker, new Hawke's Bay District Health Board chairman appointed by the Minister of Health. Photo / File

In another variation of roles, regional council deputy chairman and former long-serving Hastings-based Tukituki MP Rick Barker has been appointed chairman of the West Coast DHB, which is based in Greymouth, where he was born and raised.

Barker said he won't be moving: "I'm going to remain fully-focused on my role at the Hawke's Bay Regional Council and the Environment Committee. I've been in Hawke's Bay longer than anywhere else, so I call Hawke's Bay home.

"It's a monthly or six-weekly meeting, and the phones, emails work pretty well."

Atkinson remains on the board, as again top-polling board candidate in the 2019 local elections, but will reconsider his position in the new year. He had decided to stand only in the belief he would be reappointed chairman. In a race for seven positions, he was re-elected along with Peter Dunkerley, Ana Apatu and Heather Skipworth, all of Hastings. Voters also returned former member David Davidson to the board and installed newcomers Anna Lorck and Hayley Anderson.

Atkinson says the decision to appoint a new chair came as a surprise and with "some disappointment".

"I had intended retiring at the end of the current term this year," he said.

"However, due to five long-serving board members confirming their retirement at the end of this term, and our CEO Kevin Snee resigning in August, I was asked by several senior board members to consider a further term.

"On August 14, two days before nominations closed, I discussed the situation with the minister and advised him that I would be prepared to stand again if I had his confidence to be reappointed chair if I was re-elected," Atkinson said.

"The minister's reply was that he would like me to stand again."

Atkinson said that since the election he had, in his ongoing role as chairman pending the announcement of government appointees, kept the Ministry of Health informed of the skill-mix of the other elected members, and also advised the additional skills and geographic representation that needed to be considered as part of the appointment process.

He was "particularly concerned" that Napier needed representation on the new board, but had no contact with the MOH or minister since giving that advice, until Thursday when he received a call from the minister advising he was not being re-appointed to the chair.

Atkinson said the minister acknowledged their August 14 conversation and that he had given me his support for chairman back then, but that Cabinet had requested "fresh faces".

"I will consider my future on the board over coming months," he said.

"However, as I was strongly supported by the community in the recent election my feeling at this time is to serve the next three years as a board member and continue to work to improving the infrastructure and health services delivered to the Hawke's Bay community."

Clark said in a statement announcing appointments: "I expect the new DHB boards to deliver on the Government's clear expectations — in particular robust financial management, improved services and good management of capital infrastructure."