There’s been a trans-Tasman leadership transition this month, as former Gore District Council chief executive Stephen Parry has officially begun his tenure as the new general manager of Walcha Council in New South Wales.
Mr Parry served as the chief executive for the Gore District Council in New Zealand for more than two decades.
He took up his new role on September 1st, bringing his local government experience to the small rural community of just over 3,000 residents.
The appointment follows the departure of former general manager Phil Hood who concluded his service with Walcha Council in June after leading the organisation through several challenging years.
Walcha, located in the New England Tablelands region near Tamworth, which maintains a sister city relationship with Gore, represents a similar rural governance environment to Parry’s previous posting, albeit with a significantly smaller population base.
During the leadership transition, council’s Director Infrastructure Lacey Latham served as acting general manager, maintaining operational continuity until Mr Parry’s arrival.