The two external appointees to assist the Invercargill City Council are former Environment Southland chief executive Lindsay McKenzie and former AgResearch chairman Jeff Grant.

The appointments were announced today by the Invercargill City Council.

McKenzie and Grant have broad community governance experience and will guide the council through its response to a recent governance review. 

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Their appointment was approved by the council last month.

They start in January and will be available, if needed, for 18 months to support elected members and council staff implement an action plan addressing governance issues..

Their appointment comes at a total cost of $730,000 – $1500 a day – if needed until June 2022.

The decision to appoint McKenzie and Grant was made on advice from independent evaluator Richard Thomson.

The council's agreed action plan addresses three key areas: governance foundations, strengthening the team and measuring progress.

The first meeting of a Project Governance Group was held this week.

The group will oversee the implementation of the recommendations from the governance review. 

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Invercargill City Council chief executive Clare Hadley said it was pleasing to secure external appointees of such high calibre.  

“We have a lot of work ahead to address the issues raised in the governance review and establish robust processes and practices that ensure our council is well-placed to focus on leading our city and supporting growth.  

“The experience the two appointees bring offers significant value to the council as we refocus and prepare for the future. We have been liaising closely with the Department of Internal Affairs since the issues were raised and we are confident in their support of this way forward,” Ms Hadley said.

Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt said: “We are committed to focusing on the future and working together to overcome previous obstacles. The important thing, now, is that we push ahead and achieve real progress on the major issues facing our city. The role of our appointees is to work with us to make that happen.”

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Jeff Grant has strong governance and director experience across a range of roles with a focus on primary industries. 

He left his role as AgResearch chairman in 2018 to lead Beef + Lamb NZ and the Meat Industry Association response to Brexit.

Grant has held several chair or director roles across the agriculture and primary industries sector, including independent chairman of Southland Shared Services for eight years. 

McKenzie is an experienced executive and director with a history of working in the public and private sector. 

He has worked as a chief executive of Environment Southland, Gisborne District Council and, more recently, Tasman District Council. 

He has also worked with non-profit and Government organizations across several sectors, has a natural resource science background and studied at Monash University, Melbourne.