ABOUT

Nigel Simpson

I enjoy serving our city. I would like to serve you as Mayor.

My public service experience spans 40 years, from volunteer to Local Government Regional Manager to elected governance. I have a thorough knowledge of Local Government and its interface with Central Government.

Change, reviews and reform have been constants and those experiences equip me well to lead major reforms that are about to be imposed on Napier City Council.

All my roles have required me to interpret legislation and regulation, develop strategy or approved policy, and facilitate implementation programmes and projects.

I have completed a Master of Business Administration, cementing in my skills in governance, leadership, strategy, finance, and change management.

Continuous professional development has equipped me with prudent visionary and strategic decision-making skills.

I have negotiated with and advised Ministers of the Crown, Mayors, Chief Executives, and worked closely with communities to achieve the best community outcomes.

My Points of difference:

My experience spans across many Local and Regional Councils
I know what best practice Local Council Governance is
I am experienced working with Ministers and Government Agencies
I have experience working with individuals, community groups and NGOs
I am committed
I live in Taradale
In the past term I was the only rural City Councillor

As a first term City Councillor I was allocated eight appointments (while some long standing Councillors were only allocated 4) a reflection of my capability and capacity. My appointments include:

CEO Contract Committee Member
Audit and Risk Committee Member
Hearings and Tenders Committee Member
3Waters Portfolio Holder
Costal Hazards Joint Committee, the alternate but regular attendee
HB CDEM Joint Committee, the alternate to the mayor but a regular observer
HB Drinking Water Joint Committee Member
Taradale Business Association Committee Member

I have attended nearly all meetings and workshops, to ensure I was fully briefed and prepared for decision making.

Additionally I regularly attend the Taradale Residents Association meetings, being available to provide updates from Council and answer questions.
I worked with and on behalf of both the Business and Residents Associations to have safety improvements made in Symons Lane, and with Rotary to ensure their centennial gift to Taradale, the shelter and tables and chairs, were installed in Taradale park, and participated in the public consultation to help the Napier Rotary Pathway Trust to gain approval to extend and finish the mainly off road pathway loop around our city.
I also completed courses to add to my skillset two of interest, 'Chairing Meetings' and 'Making Good Decisions' an intensive programme to become an Accredited Resource Management Act Hearings Commissioner.

It's been a pretty busy three years, but I got things done.

Previously, I spent thirty years in local government management in roles that ensured I understood the function, capability and capacity of every department. I requested and managed budgets, implemented and delivered projects. I reported to and worked with Mayors and CEOs in a number of councils in different towns, I contributed to writing Activity Plans, Asset Management Plans, Annual Plans and Long Term (ten year) Plans developing a robust knowledge understanding of these strategic documents their purpose and how to implement them.

After I left local government, I completed a Master in Business Administration and joined the Institute of Directors, and maintain a professional development programme.

My MBA studies confirmed both my practical and technical skills in:

Leadership, and
Corporate Governance, and
Crafting and Executing Strategy, and
Financial Management, and
Project Management, and
Marketing Management, and
Operational Process Management, and
Performance Management, and
Change Management, and
Human Resource Management, and
Research, and
Truism Operations.

In my former Local and Regional Local Government roles, I interpreted legislation and regulation, drafting policy and worked with Governance to implement it. I managed or contributed through reform processes and numerous reviews. I was responsible for initiating and then facilitating interorganisational and multi jurisdictional Governance and working groups. I worked with a wide range of individuals and organisations, with some projects involving eighty or more organisations and hundreds of their staff.

I got things done, by earning the trust and collaboration of others.

The Current Council has demonstrated that many of them do not understand how to deliver Governance Led Strategy, how to develop it, implement it, and maintain it.

Since making the last 2021-2031 Long-Term-Plan in May 2021, in just over 12 months 14 additional activities have emerged that sit as unbudgeted items, they (Council members) simply don't know when or how to stop piling more expenditure onto your rates bill.
The reporting of many of these Items could have been accelerated for reporting to Council and examined as part of the last Long-Term-Plan debate, but poor Civic Leadership and lack of vision meant that they were not incorporated into work programmes to meet the Long-Term-Plan meeting cycle.

The fact that the 'New' Aquatic Centre, was tendered in 2019, then stopped, was in the Long-Term-Plan and then removed, staff had to suddenly cost maintaining the aging Onekawa site, seek $8M new budget for this and then the Mayor sought to put the new aquatic centre back into the Long-Term-Plan demonstrates regular flip-flopping and a lack of care about the effort and toll on staff, which is why significant staff have left the organisation in droves for these and many other similar reasons.

The lack of significant achievements, no War Memorial, no new Aquatic Centre, no new Central Library, no new Aquarium along with the frustration and departure of staff demonstrate Civic Leadership and Governance issues, and that's why I'm running for Mayor to stop this recklessness and to reinstate Napier as one of the best provincial cities that can, rather than doesn't.