Napier Council Staff Bristle At Restructure Of More Than 100 Jobs

Thursday, 22 May 2025, 5:25 pm
Article: Linda Hall - Local Democracy Reporter

A Napier City Council staff member not caught up in a planned restructure of more than 100 jobs says staff morale is now so low that he’s looking for a way out.

“This no longer feels like the organisation I loved,” he told Local Democracy Reporting [Hawke’s Bay Today] on Wednesday.

The council confirmed on Tuesday it was reviewing its organisational structure and consulting with staff on a proposal to reshape its four directorates.

Staff were told not to talk to the media, but Local Democracy Reporting [Hawke’s Bay Today] has since been sent some of the proposal documents, dated May 15, 2025.

They say the vision is to create a structure that will “foster innovation, improve operational efficiency and be more agile and responsive to change”.

Over the past two months each of the four executive directors at Napier City Council had reviewed their team structures, looking at role duplication, vacancies, and projects that might be put on hold, the document said.

The document said in phase one of consultation related to the restructure, 100% of staff who gave feedback on the proposal agreed on the need for change.

The restructure plan is now in phase two, with a decision set to be made in June.

Phase three would see positions disestablished - many of them frontline workers - with reporting lines shifted and new positions introduced as business functions move into their new directorates.

Proposed job losses include parking officers, Napier Assist Officers, project managers and services development and design engineers.

The restructure reportedly cites the commercialisation of key community facilities, including Ocean Spa, Par 2 Mini Golf, Kennedy Park Resort and the Napier Conference Centre as a key driver.

A staff member told Local Democracy Reporting [Hawke’s Bay Today]:

“NCC used to be very proud – telling people and staff that it takes care of its employees, regardless of their income, because the work done by people like gardeners is important to our community.

“We were told we’re a family, and we look after our own.

“Our gardeners still do an awesome job, the best in the country, I’d say. But what happened to the organisation that once had such a strong sense of civic spirit and pride?”

The worker said they were astonished by an internal email sent out on Tuesday noting that only six pieces of feedback had been received on the proposal.

Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said the process was part of a wider effort to deliver $3 million in labour savings for the 2025/26 financial year.

“A key driver of this change is the community’s clear call to reduce labour costs, as voiced during last year’s Three-Year Plan consultation,” Wise said.

“The council has reviewed all directorates and functions to identify efficiencies, such as addressing role duplication and unfilled vacancies, and has proposed changes where there are opportunities to build a leaner, more agile structure.

“The goal is to ensure we’re better positioned to respond to the specific challenges facing Napier, as well as the broader pressures on local government across New Zealand.

“This is a genuine consultation process. Our priority now is to work through it in partnership with staff, ensuring they understand what’s being proposed, have the opportunity to provide feedback, and are fully supported before any final decisions are made.”

Another staff member told Local Democracy Reporting [Hawke’s Bay Today] the savings demanded by the mayor and some councillors was being used to rationalise the job losses, following two “poorly justified and hugely expensive capital projects”, the proposed new library building and new council office.

A third staff member said if elected representatives claimed the matters were purely operational and outside their involvement, they would be misleading the public.

“They have been consistently briefed on the development, including a closed-door discussion between councillors and executive directors as recently as 11am yesterday (Tuesday, May 20).

“There is no question elected members are fully involved in the proposed restructure.”

Mayoral candidate Richard McGrath said he believed it was an appropriate time to reassess if NCC was meeting its expectations of delivering the right levels of service to its community and also meeting the expectations of the local Government act.

“I acknowledge it’s a difficult time for all involved, and I have faith in CEO Louise Miller as she leads through this process.”

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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