New West Coast Regional Council CEO Darryl Lew is hopeful for the future of the under-the-pump organisation. Photo: Greymouth Star / Brendon McMahon
A week into the job, new West Coast Regional Council chief executive Darryl Lew has hit the ground running and says he believes the council has "turned a corner".
With a whistle-stop tour of the 650km-long region already under his belt, the trained hydrologist is clear about business as usual, while also having to manage some big flood infrastructure projects in the next few years.
Lew - the regional council's fourth chief executive in three years - said the flood resilience funding for the likes of Westport, Hokitika and Franz Josef was an immediate focus and the council would need to reinstate its engineering staff capability to cope.
"I'm confident I can attract a high calibre staff to come and work for me, and complement the good staff that are already here."
Until recently he was the Department of Conservation director of operations planning, a role he held for six years, and that gave him the opportunity to work on some of DOC's key West Coast projects.
He began his career in local government 30 years ago as a hydrologist for the Wairarapa Catchment Board.
"I've probably spent well in excess of 15 years on regional councils in a second tier role, always had the aspiration to be a chief executive of a regional council, which gives me the opportunity to use my 30 years' experience in the functions of a regional council."
With four councils on the West Coast serving a population of just 32,000, Lew was careful about the predicted unitary council question.
"That's understandably up to the community and leadership on the West Coast. Regardless ... I do believe in a high degree of collaboration and co-operation across the councils on the Coast. I will be looking to do that."
Lew said he had three key priorities in sight - flood resilience, completing the Te Tai o Poutini Plan to dovetail into other regional planning documents, and "the efficient and effective business of council".
"I'm here to create a great culture with the staff and build what is already a good organisation."
He said the "vital" working relationship with council chairman Peter Haddock had already begun to gel, and building on the long-standing and close working relationship with Poutini Ngai Tahu was another priority.
"I'm feeling very positive about things ... I'm convinced this council has turned a corner, and that it has a positive focus to serve the community."
He was also conscious of the inter-relationship with DOC on the West Coast.
In his former role, he was responsible for DOC's national asset spending on the Hokitika Gorge extension, Dolomite Point and Oparara developments, the Pike Memorial Track, and the post-2019 future planning for Franz Josef and Fox Glacier.
"That's just on the assets side. Collectively there is probably well in excess of $60 million of capital works my teams were leading here on the Coast."
Lew will be living on the West Coast and his partner will continue their Wellington-based job, working remotely from the Coast.
"I think it's really important to be the CEO in regions like the West Coast to be part of the community, and to be present here," Lew said.
Like many West Coasters, he can trace his New Zealand roots back to goldrush days - in his case the arrival of his grandfather during the 'second wave' of migration from China in the late 19th century to the Otago goldfields.
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.
