Online Event: Funding & Rating Forum

Neill Sullivan has been the Valuer-General in New Zealand since 2004 and is responsible for regulation and stewardship of the rating valuations system including certification of all revaluations. He is primarily responsible for ensuring Ratepayer confidence in the accuracy of the values assessed for taxing purposes. The current rating valuation system is now 20 years old and has been the subject of some high level review in recent times. Neill will speak today about some of the challenges facing the system and other topical rating valuation issues.

Jonathan is a member of Simpson Grierson’s environment and planning group, specialising in public law and local government in particular. He is one of New Zealand's leading experts on the structures, processes, and funding of local government, with significant experience in council’s rating functions and associated decision-making.

Toni has worked in the rating sector for 19 years mainly in Taupo but also in Tauranga. She says the complexities of rating, the challenges of legislation and the persistent quest by ratepayers to test their liabilities has made for an interesting and diverse career.

Raymond re-joined Taituarā in June 2014 as Sector Improvement Manager, before commencing his current role as Chief Advisor at Taituarā. He has spent most of the last 20 years in local government related roles, most recently with the Department of Internal Affairs.

He describes his job as two-thirds providing assistance to the local government sector and one-third providing advice to central government on local government matters. His ambition is to help develop a Local Government Act that doesn’t require changes every 18 months. He asks that you wish him well with this task.

Gary is the GM: Finance & Corporate Support and Deputy C.E. for Wairoa District Council. He’s served the Wairoa community for 7 years, having previously fulfilled the same role at Westland DC for 3 years, after migrating from UK.

Gary directed first principles rating reviews and Revenue and Financing Policy reviews, embedded monthly performance reporting and delivered full Long-term Plans that were adopted on time for the first time in each organisation’s history.

He has previously contributed to Taituarā publications and last year oversaw successful defences against judicial review applications and represented the Hawke’s Bay negotiating team for cyclone relief.

Sam has 18 years senior management experience in sectors as diverse as journalism, professional sport and more recently local government. He also holds a number of governance positions locally, regionally and nationally and was Chair of the National Basketball League for eight years until 2016. British by birth, but Kiwi by choice, he and his family emigrated to New Zealand in 2006 so they could support the All Blacks without fear of reprisals.

He has recently taken up a new challenge as Communications Manager at Bay of Plenty Regional Council, having performed a similar role at Masterton District Council for the past six years. He was a member of the first cohort of the Taituarā LGExecutive Leaders Programme, which he describes as both invaluable and inspirational.

Sam’s leadership style is very much one of an enabler, with his pet hate being micromanagement. The well being of the teams he leads is high on his list of priorities, believing that only those comfortable in their own skin can be fully effective.

He feels blessed to have learned so much from working closely with many CEOs over the last two decades, each with their own unique style, strengths and foibles.

Richard Hughes is a Principal Specialist who leads the work on the implementation of the Auckland Plan at Auckland Council. Richard first joined Auckland Council as part of the Council Plan Unit responsible for developing the 2012 – 2022 Long Term Plan.

The primary function of Richard’s role is to help ensure the aspirations of the Auckland Plan are being implemented.

Brought about by a requirement under Section 79 of the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009 the purpose of the plan is to:

Contribute to Auckland’s social, economic, environmental, and social well-being through a comprehensive and effective long term (20- to 30-year) strategy for Auckland’s growth and development.

The Auckland Plan is considered a success story for the new Council. Richard would like to share with you what has been learnt through the planning, development and implementation of the Plan.

Richard describes his work as particularly rewarding. He gets to grapple with new and broad challenges that occur when working under new legislation within a relatively new organisation and a unique governance structure.

Jordan Hughes joined Ibis in 2009 as an Implementation consultant/trainer, and moved into the Product Manager role during 2014, responsible for the financial modelling products in the Ibis suite of software.

Through his time consulting across Australia and New Zealand Jordan has gained extensive experience personally working with over 100 Councils. With a good level of knowledge of the rating legislation for all the different territories Jordan has also expanded his knowledge of local government rating complexities through working on such projects as Amalgamation impact studies, legislation review projects, Special Rates Variations and many other Rating review projects.

Matthew is a senior associate in Simpson Grierson’s local government team. He specialises in local government law with a particular focus on local government funding and financing issues, including rates and development contributions. Matthew’s experience includes advising local authorities on their consultation obligations, annual and long-term planning processes, rating and funding issues and commercial contracts. He regularly on decision-making processes, conflicts of interest, CCOs, local elections, official information, delegations and bylaw issues.

Stephen Halliwell has worked for many councils across the Motu, specialising in local government financial and risk management. He has worked in local and central government, licensing trusts, electricity and health sectors, bringing more than 30 years’ experience of much change. Currently Stephen chairs Clutha’s Risk and Assurance Committee and is providing leadership to Hamilton on its three waters reform journey.

Stephen is a leader experienced in dealing with complex situations, with many stakeholders, in highly visible community and political environments

Mark has been the Chief Executive of the New Zealand Local Government Funding Agency since 2014 and his prior role was Treasurer at Auckland Council. 

Formerly he held senior financial market trading and sales roles with domestic banks and in the institutional wealth management sector as Chief Investment Officer at Perpetual Capital and General Manager of Alliance Bernstein.  

Mark currently holds investment governance roles including Chair of New Plymouth Perpetual Investment Fund, Chair of Waikato-Tainui Investment Committee and a member of the Nominating Committee of NZ Superannuation Fund.

When he is not working you are most likely to find Mark swinging a golf club, skiing down a mountain or in a DOC hut.