Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan and chief executive Steph O’Sullivan attended the World Business Forum’s two-day conference in Sydney, Australia last week.
Organised by World of Business Ideas (WOBI) in major cities across the globe, the Australian forum featured guest speakers including tennis legend Andre Agassi, Australian OIympic Games gold medallist Cathy Freeman, global economic commentator Nouriel Roubini and Radhika Dirks who spoke about generative AI.
Susan O’Regan
Costs were paid from their professional development budgets except for O’Regan’s travel costs, which she paid herself.
Individual packages for the forum started at $3900 plus GST with a limited availability platinum package of $4500, according to the WOBI website.
Reference to them being absent came at a workshop on Monday last week when deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk asked if there was a “deputy plan” for O’Sullivan while she was away.
“I don’t have the dates that Susan is away either,” said Stolwyk.
Steph O’Sullivan
O’Sullivan confirmed she would be away from Tuesday through to Friday (November 12-15).
A croaky O’Regan later said she would be away from Wednesday but would first see if she was “capable of travel”.
Asked by The News what benefits ratepayers and residents would get from their attendance, O’Sullivan said Waipā council was a big business with $2.5 billion worth of assets and an annual turnover of around $130 million.
Other New Zealanders from both the public and private sectors attended the forum which “was a prime opportunity to be exposed to the latest global thinking and trends close to home.”
It was an opportunity for both, as community leaders, to be exposed to the latest thoughts of leaders on a range of issues that the public sector in New Zealand is facing, said O’Sullivan, who started with the council in August.
“It is well known that as a country New Zealand is often at the end of the global wave. Many countries are already experiencing the impact of some very complex issues and challenges post Covid-19, including societal impacts and change.
Waipā staff were out in force during one of the community engagement sessions for the Ahu Ake Spatial Plan which has looked at Waipa’s growth. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
“As a growing district, we need to make sure that we are prepared for the potential challenges we may face, as we too undergo transformational change and focus on developing high performing teams,” she said.
“Water services delivery is a third of our business and our monetary spend. With the future delivery of those services likely to be outside council operations, who we are is a business will change markedly.
“The way we adapt to growth will also need to be transformational.
“Ensuring our council is in the best position to meet the challenges that come our way is probably the most important role we have as leaders,” said O’Sullivan.
There is no spending limit set for the mayor under the Elected Member Expense and Allowance Rules, but councillors are allowed $12,000 for their three year term.
Figures obtained by The News show O’Regan has thus far spent $7723, Clare St Pierre $10,760, Marcus Gower $7540, Philip Coles $5750 and deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk $4264. At the other end, Bruce Thomas has spent nothing and Andrew Brown $260.87. The totals do not include travel and accommodation costs.
World Business Forum Sydney, Australia
