Mayor's replacement on trust to be decided

Gary Kircher
Gary Kircher
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher's replacement on the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust will be decided by the Waitaki District Council in a public-excluded meeting today.

Mr Kircher, who ``signalled some time ago'' he would be stepping back from the trust, became one of three council-appointed trustees on the seven-member board after Cr Peter Garvan resigned in 2016.

Cr Garvan had been on the board for nine years.

Oamaru artist Donna Demente publicly criticised the board at the time, saying it made decisions in an ``ivory tower'' and the trust operated in a ``very corporate way''.

At a meeting the Harbour St trust tenant hosted a week before Cr Garvan resigned, Ms Demente and about 60 supporters confronted Mr Kircher about the council's appointments to the board, calling for ``new blood''.

Yesterday, Mr Kircher said there had been ``a bit of controversy and some conflict'' at the time he took on the role, but since then the situation had ``settled''.

``It's time for someone else to get in there and have a bit of a say as well,'' Mr Kircher said.

``I felt I had something to add at that time, and I think I've served that purpose. There are a lot of other things that I am also involved in and it's really around focusing my efforts and making sure that we get things done.''

The trust recently hit the headlines after it issued a statement that it would not support ``any major developments'' at Oamaru Harbour until the council produced its proposed $50,000 master plan for the area.

hamish.maclean@odt.co.nz

 

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