Will Doughty has signed on for another two years as Kaikōura District Council chief executive.
Kaikōura Mayor Craig Mackle said the councillors were unanimous in their support for extending Mr Doughty’s contract to the end of January 2028.
‘‘Will has made an outstanding contribution to the council through his leadership to date. We are very pleased he will be staying on for another two years.
‘‘As a sector, we face a number of significant challenges ahead. Will’s experience and strong leadership will be invaluable as we continue to navigate these issues and move Kaikōura forward.
‘‘It’s fantastic that he and his family will remain part of our community.’’
Mr Doughty said he had no hesitation in accepting the opportunity to remain in Kaikōura.
‘‘There’s always opportunities opening up, but I was very keen to stay and my family is settled and happy here and it is a great part of the world to live.’’
He said he enjoyed the role and leading a small team.
‘‘Leading a small organisation has it’s challenges because you don’t have the resources and tools that a lot of other, bigger councils might have, so we’ve got to make the most of the resources we do have.
‘‘We constantly punch above our weight in Kaikōura and as long as we are moving forward and getting the best for our community, that is where I get the my drive and passion from.’’
The Doughty family first moved to Kaikōura in 2017, when Mr Doughty was appointed in the temporary role of rebuild director, following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in November 2016.
After working in various earthquake recovery roles, he was appointed as the council’s chief executive on a five-year contract from February 2021.
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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