'Fortunate to have Bob around our table' - Waikato Regional Council chair

Bob Simcock has tripped up in governance roles before but is a valued member of Waikato Regional Council, the chair says. Photo / File

The embattled former Waikato health board chairman still has a place at the table of a council he was elected to, despite criticism of his governance over the chief executive spending scandal.

According to the chairman at Waikato Regional Council it is "fortunate" to have former Waikato District Health Board chair Bob Simcock as part of the team.

Council chair Alan Livingston said Simcock, whose oversight of processes around Dr Nigel Murray's excessive spending was found to be lax and wanting, "added a lot of value".

Simcock resigned as DHB chairman late last year following public pressure of his oversight of the chief executive's expenses.

Under Simcock's watch Murray was found to have spent $120,000 of taxpayer money that was unjustified or unauthorised.

A State Services Commission [SSC] inquiry found Simcock was too trusting of the CEO.

But Livingston said Simcock "provided a huge amount of value" to the roles he held on the regional council and the chairman had no reason to review Simcock's position.

"We are fortunate to have Bob around our table. He provides a huge amount of experience and is contributing a lot."

At the council Simcock holds a senior role chairing its strategy and policy committee and also sits on the audit and risk committee.

He declined to comment on his future at the council.

Simcock, who is a former National MP and Hamilton mayor, is in his second term as a Waikato regional councillor for the Hamilton constituency.

The former deer farmer and psychologist has courted controversy for more than two decades.

In 1997 as a National MP for Hamilton West, Simcock tried to get a taxpayer funded trip to England to visit his daughter.

He was Hamilton mayor when the city hosted the V8s street race and a PwC review of the event found Simcock was involved in keeping financial problems about the V8s from councillors for two years.

Ultimately the failed street race cost Hamilton almost $40m.

He was also on the board of Karapiro 2010 Ltd, the organisation set up to run the 2010 World Rowing Champs, which also had a budget blowout.

Simcock previously said he long ago publicly accepted responsibility for the role he played in the V8 event, and that his role on the rowing board was so peripheral that an investigation into it did not interview him.

On the day he quit as chair at Waikato DHB on November 28 last year following a Herald article revealing the Serious Fraud Office was looking into Murray's spending, Simcock did not show up to a regional council meeting he was supposed to chair.

Livingston said Simcock added value to the committees he was on.

"I've got no reason at all to have any questioning around our council table, which includes being a chair of one of our committees," Livingston said.

"Around our table there is no reservation, no concern what-so-ever."

Alan Livingston rates Bob Simcock highly as a chair and member of committees at Waikato Regional Council. Photo / File

Waikato Regional Council had not received any complaints about Simcock holding a governance position at the regional council, following the release of the SSC inquiry last week.