Marlborough District Council has received a positive Mauri Tū or 'Active' development benchmark in its first Te Korowai evaluation report.

The Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) Continuous Improvement Programme is conducted by an Independent Evaluation Panel. The assessment took place in July 2025.

Mayor Nadine Taylor said the independent evaluation was overall an excellent result for Council with high marks in financial health, integrated planning and emergency planning capability, adding it also showed there was work still to be done.

“The report confirms Council is performing well in core areas with clear opportunities to build on its current strengths in strategy, iwi partnership, organisational capability and enhancing how we manage risk.

“Some of these areas we have already addressed ourselves and, as a result, we are well underway working towards improvement. This includes the appointment of a strategically focussed Chief Executive in John Boswell who has already implemented a range of initiatives to guide Council’s future strategic direction and enhance Council’s decision making.”

Mayor Taylor said she was particularly pleased to note references to the Marlborough Environment Plan, described as “impressive” and regarded as leading the way in New Zealand, and that roading was professionally managed.

“This is a continuous improvement programme our Council has voluntarily embarked upon. That demonstrates our dedication and desire, as both elected officials and staff, to expand and develop, to progress and grow, and to embed a culture of continuous improvement into the organisation. This is the beginning of our journey of continuous improvement, not the end point,” she said.

Mayor Taylor said she was proud of the way elected members worked together to deliver the best outcomes for the community demonstrated by the good satisfaction levels which continue to be recorded, as noted in the report.

“We are operating in the context of significant change coming from Central Government which really is a mountain for all councils to climb. However, we are committed to continuing to strive for quality in the delivery of this Council’s core services while adapting as quickly as possible to change.”

Mayor Taylor said the assessment was a “snapshot in time”.

“There will always be areas for improvement identified in a process like this, but I am confident in our commitment across Council to continue building on the excellent work that is already being done for the residents and ratepayers of Marlborough.”

Input was received from 41 staff, 13 councillors including the mayor, 13 members of the Executive Management Team, six iwi representatives and 17 stakeholders, all representing diverse interests and perspectives. All participants were encouraged to share their views openly and constructively.

Council will review all the recommendations contained in the Te Korowai evaluation and a report, including an action plan, will be presented to councillors in the new year.

To read the report go to Council’s website: www.marlborough.govt.nz/your-council/te-korowai-continuous-improvement-programme

For more information on Te Korowai go to: www.lgnz.co.nz/learning-support/te-korowai/

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