English Executive Appointed to Lead Wellington City Council

A council chief executive will depart England to assume leadership of operations in New Zealand’s capital city. Matt Prosser has been appointed chief executive of Wellington City Council, following more than five years at Dorset Council. His tenure at the English authority included overseeing its formation in 2019 and addressing challenges such as the arrival of the government’s barge for asylum seekers at Portland Port. In November, the New Zealand government assigned a Crown Observer to monitor Wellington City Council, following reports of ministers characterizing it as a “shambles”, “shemozzle” and a place of “meddling bureaucracy”. The city, also known by the Māori name Pōneke, faces difficulties such as disputes among councillors, financial pressures, and its structural resilience against earthquakes, as reported by local media outlets. Mr Prosser stated: “I love New Zealand and have always thoroughly enjoyed my visits to Wellington. “My wife and I are looking forward to becoming Wellingtonians and walking the lovely bush trails with our golden retriever.”Wellington is just the kind of city we love, full of innovative, creative people, wonderful nature and a rich history.” Wellington City Council, which had previously appointed another English chief executive in 2012, indicated that the position attracted “global interest”. Mr Prosser, whose current earnings at Dorset Council are £185,079, could potentially receive a salary exceeding £250,000 in New Zealand, drawing from his predecessor’s remuneration. Dorset Council reported achieving £96m in savings, obtained a high assessment for children’s services, and enhanced recycling efforts during his tenure. The authority stated its intention to commence the recruitment process for a new chief executive soon. Readers can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC does not assume responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.