Doughty by name, doughty by nature: Kaikōura infrastructure rebuild in good hands

Deliver on time, on budget and up to standard, that’s the brief for Kaikōura’s new Rebuild Director, Will Doughty. ‘Doughty’ is an old English word meaning brave, persistent, determined or indomitable – all of which will stand him in good stead for the work ahead.

Mr Doughty’s appointment by Kaikōura District Council as Rebuild Director completes arrangements involving the three major funders of the local rebuild. Infrastructure rebuild costs will be shared between the Kaikōura District Council (KDC), New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and Central Government, represented by the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management (MCDEM). NZTA will fund 95% of the costs of all eligible earthquake related local roading repairs, MCDEM will cover 60% of eligible water, stormwater and wastewater infrastructure costs, and KDC and its insurers will fund the balance. The funders will work together under governance arrangements including a memorandum of understanding and a Rebuild Steering Group to streamline the rebuild work.

As part of the Rebuild Steering Group Mr Doughty will provide oversight of the rebuild design, projects, advice and decision making. His immediate priority will be working with the funders to decide the details of the programme, budget, standards and procurement process. He is also responsible for leading the rebuild of Council-owned facilities and structures and liaising with the Transport Agency and KiwiRail’s North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery (NCTIR) alliance team. The NCTIR team are rebuilding the coastal highways and aiming to reopen SH1 north before the end of 2017.

Speaking of the rebuild ahead, KDC CEO Angela Oosthuizen says, ‘The council needs to deliver eight times our annual infrastructure spend in the next 18-24 months. The Steering Group and new Rebuild Director will provide the experienced advice and support we need to get this rebuild right’.

Mr Doughty has lived and worked in Christchurch for 11 years. Following the Christchurch earthquakes, he worked extensively in emergency response and managed major long-term infrastructure rebuild programmes at a Governance level. He spent over four years in a strategic leadership role, supporting the Christchurch City Council, CERA and NZTA’s delivery of the $2.9 billion horizontal infrastructure rebuild programme.

Married with two children, the Doughty family is very excited about integrating into the Kaikōura community and contributing to the recovery of a very special part of the world. Mr Doughty’s position at the Kaikōura District Council begins in mid-May.

‘The Kaikōura rebuild is a challenge, an opportunity and an adventure. There’s a lot of work to be done but I’ve seen first-hand what a passionate community supported by experts can achieve. It’s a big job but we’ll get there and we’ll get there together.’

ENDS

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