Secrecy already at Metro Water with four anonymous figures pulling strings

Monday, 20 October 2025

Wellington’s new mega-water entity has already cloaked itself in secrecy with four so-far anonymous figures appointed to find a new chief executive.

Executive search company Hobson Leavy has been engaged to find a new Metro Water chief executive and the online job advertisement says an establishment board is already in place.

The four-member board was meant to be confirmed by October 1. Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said the appointments had been finalised and the members were scheduled for a mihi whakatau (welcome) on November 5.

She could not explain why the names had remained under wraps — possibly to allow time to brief incoming mayors — nor why the release was now October 30. She confirmed the establishment board comprised three men and one woman.

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Metro Water is the result of the National-led Government throwing out the last Labour Government’s water reforms and replacing them with Local Water Done Well. In Wellington, an evolving water crisis and blunders by Wellington Water, the council-owned entity running the region’s water, had underscored the need for change.

Metro Water, which comes into effect in mid-2026, will on the surface look like Wellington Water but it will own the infrastructure and thus be able to borrow more over a longer period to fix the region’s ailing pipes.

Dame Kerry Prendergast, the chairperson of the advisory oversight group (AOG) setting up Metro Water, would not say last week who was on the establishment board.

She said the delay was because one of the board members was offshore. She understood the names would be released at the end of October.

Ros Connelly, also on the AOG, said she knew the names but could not release them.

She was not certain all had been fully appointed but there was “nothing sinister” in the delay nor the secrecy.

She said the timing was less than ideal, with the establishment board being appointed and chief executive recruitment beginning while new councils were still being elected.

Incoming Wellington mayor Andrew Little, who campaigned on improved council transparency, said the new water entity must be accountable to ratepayers and deliver genuine value for money.

“Metro Water will be playing a critical role in the region and will have a significant impact on local households so it is important it maintains the confidence of residents,” he said. “I understand the delay in announcing the establishment board is not affecting the rest of the establishment programme.”

Meanwhile, quite who has thrown their hat in the ring as chief executive remains unclear.

Former Wellington City councillor Tim Brown – who has a strong interest in water and just stepped down from the council – confirmed he was focused on setting up a water users’ advocacy group and was not applying.

Outgoing Hutt City mayor Campbell Barry, the Wellington Water Committee chairperson, said he was not ruling out any opportunities but “a no for that role”.

Wellington Water Board chairperson Nick Leggett confirmed he was not interested in the role while Wellington Water chief executive Pat Dougherty has previously ruled himself out.

The chief executive job advertisement said the role was for someone with “significant experience leading an asset management, infrastructure or commercial organisation of scale.

“Appointees will demonstrate leadership in large-scale sector and/or organisation reform, change and establishment ideally within a highly political context with heavy stakeholder and public scrutiny and media attention.”