Timaru council boss will not seek reappointment after seven years

Wednesday, 7 June 2023

Timaru District Council chief executive Bede Carran has been at the helm for nearly seven years.

The Timaru District Council is on the hunt for a new chief executive as Bede Carran says he will not seek reappointment when his contract ends in December.

Carran, previously a chief executive of the neighbouring Waimate District Council, was appointed to the role in Timaru in August 2016, starting in the role in December 2016.

The council has posted an advertisement seeking a replacement for Carran, seeking a chief executive who will “lead their team with vision’’.

The ad for the role, which is worth more than $300,000, said the council had a vision of “going places”, and the mayor and councillors were looking to appoint a chief executive with “a passion to do the absolute best for the region’s people, communities and economy’’.

* Clause in TDHL constitution allows for council members to be omitted

* Coronavirus: Emergency exemptions sought by Local Government New Zealand

Bede Carran has been the council’s chief executive since 2016.

A candidate briefing attached to the ad said the vacancy arose as the current contract with Carran would end on December 5, and he had “advised council that he will not be seeking a further term”. It also said the position is “exposed to more than usual public scrutiny”.

“The actions, style and manner of the chief executive during all public contact must reflect professionalism, patience and tact.

Bede Carran, left, speaks with Timaru mayor Nigel Bowen during a council meeting in October 2022.

“Where public debate occurs it is the responsibility of the CE to foster informed public understanding by articulating and explaining policy decisions taken by the council. It is not the responsibility of the CE to answer for, or publicly defend the policy decisions of the council.”

It said the position would serve a growing population across the Timaru District, with council’s annual group revenues of more than $80m, assets of $850m and 268 full-time equivalent staff.

While a background in local government was desirable, the council was happy to consider candidates with experience in other public or private sector organisations, but it was “critical for the CEO to reside in the district”, it said.

Timaru mayor Nigel Bowen speaks about the council's decision to buy and demolish the long-time gang headquarters at Washdyke.

Ideal candidates would be “well-rounded” and pragmatic, holding a senior position either as an established chief executive seeking a new challenge, or an experienced senior executive looking to step up to a CEO leadership position, the ad said.

In June 2021, councillors voted to extend Carran’s contract for a further two years, effective from his December anniversary, taking him through until the end of 2023.

However, that decision was made amid some controversy, with not all councillors voting in favour of the extension.

Bede Carran, left, and then-councillor Richard Lyon, outside the Timaru District Council offices during a moment of silence to remember those killed in the Christchurch Mosque attacks in March 2019.

Councillors held that discussion, which was tabled in the agenda to take place behind closed doors, in the open council meeting after councillor Stu Piddington shared advice of Local Government New Zealand that there was no reason to discuss it public excluded.

During that discussion, councillor Allan Booth questioned whether the democratic process had been followed, saying he had not been notified of a meeting when Carran’s performance was considered. His concerns were echoed by Piddington who said he also had not been invited to that meeting.

Eventually, councillors voted to reappoint Carran, six votes to three.

Carran’s tenure included overseeing four restructures within five years with several senior managers leaving, the resignation of seven senior staffers from Timaru’s CBay acquatic centre in December 2022, and the council’s decision to purchase a gang pad at the centre of gang tensions in the town, and three other gang-linked properties.

In September 2022, Carran defended his council’s spend of almost $34 million on consultants after it released figures to The Timaru Herald under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act. Those showed it had spent $33,994,388 on consultants between 2018 and 2022.

Six months later, in March 2023, mayor Nigel Bowen called for an urgent review, asking councillors to support him and Carran to conduct a review of expenditure on contractors and consultants.

Applications for the chief executive role close on June 25.

TIMELINE:

August 2016: Bede Carran, then chief executive of Waimate District Council, appointed as chief executive of Timaru District Council, replacing Peter Nixon who retired

December 2021: Carran starts as chief executive at TDC

July 2021: Timaru councillors vote to extend Carran’s contract for a further two years, six votes to three

December 2023: Carran’s contract ends

June 2023: TDC advertises chief executive role