Kaikōura council makes key appointment, recruitment challenges remain
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Key appointments have been made at Kaikōura's council, but there are still gaps to fill as it struggles to find staff.
Staff recruitment has been a headache for the Kaikōura District Council in recent years, but chief executive Will Doughty says he has finally appointed a new building control manager.
The council has had vacancies in its building department for more than two years.
‘‘We are consistently chasing our tail looking to get some replacements and we have had good support from contractors and other councils in the building space.
‘‘But it is good to get a full-time role based here.’’
Doughty said other Canterbury councils have been providing support with building inspections and consenting over the last two years, particularly the Hurunui District Council.
Glen Vaughan will be moving from the Central Otago District Council to be the new building control manager in Kaikōura, starting on July 1.
A new building administrator and a new emergency management officer have also been appointed.
But the position of building control officer remains vacant after more than two years, while there is also a vacancy for a part-time customer services officer.
Despite the lack of permanent building staff based in Kaikōura, the council has received a favourable accreditation assessment from International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ).
‘‘It is a credit to the team that we have no significant non-compliances and seven general non-compliances,’’ Doughty said.
‘‘This is an outstanding result.’’
Should the council address the general non-compliance issues by July it will be classified as a ‘‘low risk’’ building control authority, with the next assessment due in 2026.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Poll: Have you ever been bullied?
People associate bullying with children in schools, but it can actually stretch beyond childhood to workplaces or neighbourhoods.
This Friday is Pink Shirt Day, which began in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying after a new student was harassed for wearing pink. People across the globe are now encouraged to wear pink on this day to take a stand against bullying and promote inclusivity.
Have you or your whānau ever experienced bullying? Share your thoughts on Pink Shirt Day below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
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81% Yes
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18.7% No
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0.3% Other - I'll share below
Where do you find the best bargains in Canterbury?
The first South Island edition of the Reduced to Clear outlet store opened in Christchurch’s South City mall this month. It sells end-of-the-line products, cancelled exports or short-dated items - similar to other discount grocers in the city such as Save More and BargainMe.
We're keen to hear from you - where do you find the best bargains in Canterbury? Who has the cheapest veges, the best deals on spices and nuts, the lowest price for petrol etc? What are your tips for dealing with cost of living increases? Comment below or email reporters@press.co.nz
Neighbourly Q&A: Renting rights with CAB's Sacha Green
We are continuing our Q&A sessions on Neighbourly. This week we have the amazing Sacha Green from Citizens Advice Bureau New Zealand (CABNZ) who will be answering your questions about your renting rights.
A little bit about Sacha:
She has been working for CABNZ for 10 years and is passionate about empowering people with knowledge of their rights as well as ensuring access to justice.
She helps support the team of over 2,000 trained volunteers who deliver the CAB service in 80 neighbourhoods around Aotearoa by providing advice and support at a national level on a wide range of issues. One of Sacha’s work areas is leading the CAB’s social justice work on housing and tenancy issues.
Whether you're a flatmate, landlord, boarder or flatmate, you can leave a comment below and Sacha will share an answer on Wednesday from 9.30am. You may want to ask about notice periods, bond fulfillment, reasonable rent increases, or even whose responsibility it is to deal with mould in the home.
Join Sacha here on Wednesday at 9.30am. See you then!.
⇩ Share your question below ⇩
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