$500,000 + ORC fill-in managers

MORE than $500,000 has been spent on replacement managers at the Otago Regional Council in less than nine months after three left the organisation late last year.

Two directors left in November last year, quickly followed by the departure of another the following month.

Information provided to the Otago Daily Times by the council shows it has cost $568,248 to July 31 to temporarily fill these positions.

Chief executive Sarah Gardner said a new leadership team would be in place at the council from next week.

‘‘It has been imperative to take the time to find the right people for the roles given the breadth of work the Otago Regional Council is currently dealing with and has ahead of it.

‘‘In the interim we have been fortunate to have had the skills of a number of people to help manage the ORC’s ongoing demanding work programme.’’

Since the directors left last year, the council has restructured and the position names and roles have changed.

Five general managers have replaced the previous six director roles.

Former Dunedin City Council transport group manager Richard Saunders is the council’s new regulatory general manager.

The council has been silent about the reasons for the departure of former council stakeholder engagement director Sian Sutton and environmental monitoring and operations director Scott MacLean, who both left the council in November.

Mrs Gardner has declined to say anything about the issue.

However, when that was followed by former regional policy, planning and resource management director Tanya Winter leaving in late December, Mrs Gardner commented she did an ‘‘excellent job’’ leading the minimum flows project and building strong relationships with iwi and the community.