Commissioners running the Kaipara District Council have appointed a new chief executive as the council prepares to hold its first elections in six years.
Mangawhai Heads (Harbour) Photo: Flickr user Sids1 / CC BY 2.0
Graham Sibery, the current head of planning and infrastructure for the government of South Australia, has been appointed for a five-year term, starting in July.
The chair of the Kaipara commissioners, John Robertson, said Mr Sibery had run large organisations and has leadership experience in the public and private sectors.
The Oxford University history graduate also holds a doctorate in international studies from the University of South Carolina.
The Kaipara commissioners were installed by the government in 2012 after it sacked the previous council for unlawful borrowing that led to a massive debt blowout.
Ratepayers were not told the cost of the Mangawhai wastewater scheme had soared from about $20 million to $60m, and a subsequent rates revolt led to the sacking of the council by the government.
Mr Robertson said the commissioners would be handing over a financially stable organisation when their tenure ends in October.
