Council property services group manager Laura McElhone has resigned to take up a national role for ACC in Dunedin.
The resignation comes after a difficult period for the property department, which was mired in claims of bullying and poor performance under former manager Kevin Taylor, and has been relying on consultants to fill at least six vacant roles after a series of resignations, at a cost of about $1.5million.
Dr McElhone will finish on April 20 and start as lodgement and triage manager at ACC at the end of that month.
She took over the day-to-day running of the department just over a year ago and took on the role permanently in June.
Her predecessor, Mr Taylor, resigned following the completion of a Deloitte review of the department.
Requests for a copy of Deloitte's final report have been repeatedly rebuffed since then.
Dr McElhone said she was looking to broaden her horizons and take on a new challenge after 10 years at the council and the resignation was nothing to do with the problems the department had faced.
''I will be 10 years at the DCC on the 21st of April and [when] approaching that milestone you start to think 'what next?'.''
She stressed the department had ''come a long way in a year''.
''I'm proud of what we have achieved.''
There was still ''plenty left to do'', but the department was in a better position for whoever took over her role.
The new job would see her play a key role in ACC's transformational change programme, she said.
''My time in property is shorter than anticipated because opportunities like this in Dunedin don't come up very often so you have to grab them when they come along.
''That role just looked too good to miss.''
Dr McElhone was the council's water and waste group manager before taking up her role in the council's property services department last year.
Council chief executive Sue Bidrose said Dr McElhone had made a huge contribution to the organisation.
''I'm sad for us, but its great when really good staff go on to other really good roles in the city.
''We wish her all the very best.''
The property services group manager will be advertised and interim management arrangements will be put in place closer to Dr McElhone's departure.
