Delivering on big projects, adjusting to reforms and keeping the place staffed are ever-present challenges for the Central Otago District Council’s CEO Sanchia Jacobs.

Not to mention a global pandemic.

The former-diplomat recently had her tenure in the top job extended for another four years. Reflecting on the past four-plus years, she says managing growth in Central Otago has played a large part in determining the council’s focus.

“When I came into the role almost 4.5 years ago there was a large work programme to deliver –both with business as usual but also in regard to accommodating growth.

Reform and Covid-19 were not a thing, but those two things came along and have become front and centre. Navigating them at the same time as trying to continue to deliver on everything else has proven challenging.”

She credits her staff’s perseverance in keeping the wheels turning through the challenges of the pandemic.

“The team at CODC has been amazing. In a time of great uncertainty, they have backed the organisation and each other. They have been totally on board with the range of measures taken to get through the pandemic and continue to astound me with their commitment to showing up and getting the job done.”

As anywhere in New Zealand securing professionals is tricky and making the council an attractive workplace is key. Finding planners and filling some engineering roles was proving particularly difficult, she said.

Looking forward there are a swathe of big ticket projects to work on, through a continuing Covid-19- hampered environment. “We will be looking to deliver on those projects identified in the Long-term Plan - Cromwell Masterplan, district museum function, Alexandra Riverside Park, Omakau Community Hub, Roxburgh

Pool - and those major capital projects, like the Clyde reticulated wastewater system and Lake Dunstan water supply, that are ongoing. How we engage with and respond to reform will continue to occupy considerable time as well.”

 The Central Otago District Council executive team from left rear is Saskia Righarts, Leanne Macdonald, Julie Muir, front from left, Louise van de Voort, Sanchia Jacobs and Louise Fleck.

“Having an all-female executive is noteworthy because it is unique. On the one hand it is worth celebrating, but on the other hand it is just as un-diverse as an all-male executive team.

We have a fantastic team, and I wouldn’t trade a single one of them, but we all agree that in an ideal world a spread of a range of diversity indicators would be ideal.”

CODC mayor, Tim Cadogan, says Sanchia had led council “extremely well” through some of the most challenging times in its history.

“Sanchia has led a transformation that has improved the Council in many significant ways, both in our culture and in how we serve our community. At a time of huge change in local government, having consistency at the top of the organisation is crucial.” 

Outside of council, Sanchia serves as president of Taituarā, the national membership organisation for local government professionals.

The position, Mayor Cadogan says, gives her, and Central Otago, connections into the highest levels of Central Government thinking.”

Council has not been without its critics over recent years, however, with some requesting a performance review be undertaken. Alexandra residents Hugh McIntyre and Don Sparks have twice pushed for council to adopt the CouncilMARK organisational performance review system, which is widely used in New Zealand.

In November last year council delayed their decision on it to allow feedback to be gained from other mayors and in January resolved not to undertake the review for at least 12 months due to workload pressures and it being an election year.

In a report to the council the pair had raised concerns over how enquiries were dealt with by staff and said they desired a “change of culture”.

They felt a system was needed to properly deal with complaints and said a negative attitude was held by much of the business community toward council, which needed to change.

At the time Ms Jacobs said she believed review was a good thing. “At a philosophical level there’s no issue with it all. It is reasonable that we should want to do it. All staff should want it.”

According to the Taxpayers Union’s statistics from 2021, the CODC has the fourth lowest borrowing cost to ratepayers of any council in the country.

While salaries for council CEOs across New Zealand have come under scrutiny as being fairly high, CODC’s at just over $272,000 is below the national average of $322,000. It is however higher than the average salary for city councils(approx. $250,000.) CODC have 13 staff members -or 9% of staff - earning over $100,000(the national average sits at 15%) and the council’s operational cost per household is around $1000 per year lower than the national average.