The council was especially praised for how well it communicated and engaged with the community.
Te Korowai reviews councils every three years.
It provides an independent assessment of performance and offers advice to help councils improve their governance, leadership, decision-making, transparency and community engagement.
In its latest report, the independent panel gave the council an overall rating of ‘‘Mauri Tū’’ (active development).
It also awarded the highest rating, ‘‘Mauri Ora,’’ for communications and engagement.
Mayor Tamah Alley said the review showed the council was heading in the right direction.
‘‘This independent evaluation confirms that council is on a strong trajectory, with solid foundations and a clear commitment to doing right by our communities.
‘‘We’re proud to be recognised for strong leadership, a thriving communications approach and an organisation that’s actively improving while staying focused on what matters most for Central Otago,’’ she said.
She added that there was still work to do, particularly in resource consenting, long-term financial planning and renewing major infrastructure.
The council would take the recommendations seriously as it continued to improve.
Te Korowai chairman Toby Stevenson said the report showed the council had worked hard to reshape itself to better serve the community.
He said the council has a positive workplace culture and strong leadership.
It had also made good progress in planning for the future management of water services, including deciding to form a council-controlled organisation with neighbouring councils, he said.
Previously, the council was structured around four wards, with councillors largely approving decisions made by community boards.
It is now modernising its decision-making to focus on the needs of the whole district rather than individual wards — a change it calls ‘‘districtisation.’’
This puts the council in a stronger position to make spending decisions for the benefit of the entire district, while community boards continue to represent local voices.
The report also notes that the council has a strong reputation in the community and has managed changes around water reforms and district-wide decision-making effectively, while listening to residents.
It highlights strong governance and effective management under the mayor and chief executive’s leadership.
Chief executive Peter Kelly said both staff and elected members should be proud of the progress made in recent years.
He said the report recognised improvements in governance, financial management, service delivery and community engagement.
It recognised the council’s strong leadership, commitment to continuous improvement, and the positive culture within the organisation.
While acknowledging there were areas to improve, he said the council remained committed to addressing challenges, increasing transparency and delivering value to the community. — Allied Media
