Otago Regional Council chairman Stephen Woodhead has been elected unopposed as chairman of Local Government New Zealand’s Regional Sector Group (RSG).

Mr Woodhead, who was previously the group’s deputy chairman, replaces former Greater Wellington Regional Council chairwoman Fran Wilde, who has resigned.

The RSG is one of four LGNZ sector groups, each of which is represented on the organisation’s national council.

Each group develops and works to their own set of priority issues with the objective of simultaneously pursuing the particular interests of each sector and the overall interests of local government.

The Regional Sector Group meets four times a year.

Mr Woodhead said the group’s focus included the regional co-ordination of government work programmes with national significance for regional councils, including working with government departments on policy issues associated with NZ’s freshwater resources.

These issues crossed district and regional boundaries, and the RSG was involved in helping resolve them through its participation in the Land and Water Forum, and its input on RMA reform.

“We are also working with iwi leaders on cross-cultural issues, co-ordinating the development of the LAWA website (which provides key environmental data), regional hazard management projects, and on some public transport issues,” Mr Woodhead said.

For more information contact

Stephen Woodhead
Ph 027 280 1635