Otakaro head resigns after two years in charge
The head of Crown-owned Christchurch rebuild company O¯ ta¯ karo is stepping down.
O¯ ta¯karo’s chief executive Albert Brantley has told the company’s board of directors he will leave in about June to focus on other national and overseas activities.
Chairman Ross Butler said he was disappointed to lose such a strong leader.
Brantley was O¯ ta¯ karo’s original chief executive when the Crownowned company was formed as one of the replacements for the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) in April 2016.
A former chief executive of Genesis Energy, he was hired on an annual salary of $500,000, and in the last financial year was paid between $570,000 and $579,000.
O¯ ta¯ karo was set up is to deliver the taxpayer-funded elements of the Christchurch rebuild, including the convention centre and east frame projects, and to sell Crownowned rebuild sites.
It is leading development of some rebuild projects with ratepayer funding.
Several projects have run behind schedule, and some have been down-scaled or are under reconsideration.
O¯ ta¯ karo has sold aggregated sites for redevelopment in the south frame and innovation and retail precincts, and is currently selling leftover land by the south frame laneways.
Brantley said he would leave O¯ ta¯ karo in a good position.
He said that with the convention centre under way and many horizontal projects set for completion this year he considered it a good time to ‘‘hand over the reins’’.
As head employee, the chief executive is appointed by the board, chaired by Ross Butler, and is outside the realms of Government influence.
Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister Megan Woods described Brantley’s resignation as a loss, noting his experience and integrity.
He had ‘‘led Christchurch through probably what’s been some of the most challenging moments of the regeneration of our city,’’ Woods said.