A Marlborough Waters board member has already stepped down, before the board met for the first time.
By Kira Carrington of Local Democracy Reporting
Marlborough District Council announced on Thursday that former Wellington City Council chief executive Kevin Lavery was no longer part of the board of the region's new water service entity.
Lavery, who did not attend the board’s first meeting on Wednesday, said he had stepped down because of a "significant increase in the demands of my work commitments in Tauranga".
"I have decided that I am no longer able to take up the board role with Marlborough Waters. I wish Marlborough Waters and the council all the very best for the future," Lavery said.
Lavery became establishment chief executive of Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty’s as-yet unnamed water company in April, three months before he was appointed to the Marlborough Waters board in July.
Lavery had also been chairperson of the establishment board of Hamilton and Waikato’s new water company IAWAI since July 2025.
The council said Lavery had been appointed to the Marlborough Waters board because of his "extensive governance and leadership experience" including at the Wellington council, Cornwall Council in the United Kingdom, and "a large UK health system".
'Wish him well'
Mayor Nadine Taylor said the council respected Lavery's decision.
"We understand Kevin's decision and wish him well in his new role," Taylor said.
Marlborough Waters, which is 100% council-owned, was established last year under the government's Local Water Done Well policy. The organisation will officially start delivering water services on July 1, 2027.
Taylor said the new water services organisation "remains in a strong position, with an experienced board ready to guide the organisation through establishment".
The council said there were no plans to appoint a replacement board member at this stage, instead opting to wait for the board to begin operating before deciding whether additional skills or experience on the board were necessary.
The board therefore had four members: chairperson Warren McNabb, who also chaired Port Marlborough’s board, former Wellington Water chief executive Patrick Dougherty, Whakarewa Trust chairperson Rōpata Taylor, and Selwyn Water chairperson Murray Strong.
The Marlborough Waters constitution stated that the board must be made up of three to five directors.
McNabb said at the board’s first meeting on Wednesday that the directors brought "a broad range of expertise, experience and perspectives".
The meeting was an important milestone for Marlborough, as the board took on the responsibility of providing an "essential service" for the region, he said.
McNabb pledged that affordability, reliability, and transparency would be cornerstones of the new organisation.
The first meeting moved to public excluded after six minutes so board members could discuss employment and finance issues.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
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