Central Hawke’s Bay District Council Appoints Independent Chair of Risk and Assurance Committee

Central Hawke’s Bay District Council is pleased to appoint Mr Neil Bain as Independent Chair to the Risk and Assurance Committee, resolved by elected members at February's full meeting of Council, the first for 2020.

In November 2019 Council passed the motion to appoint an Independent Chair to the Risk and Assurance Committee, in line with guidance on audit committees set by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) and the independent assessment framework of  LGNZ CouncilMARK® .

“Having an independent Chair to this committee is an important step for improving governance and transparency for our Council. This is something I have been committed to for the past few years, and to have the support of the whole Council table is very pleasing,” says Alex Walker, Mayor of Central Hawke’s Bay. “We received interest from a number of very high calibre applicants and Mr Bain will bring skills in risk and financial reporting and management that will add enormous value but also fit well into the culture we have worked so hard to build in the Council.”

The purpose of the Risk and Assurance Committee is to contribute to improving the governance, performance and accountability of the Central Hawke’s Bay District Council by;

• Ensuring that the Council has appropriate financial, health and safety, risk management and internal control systems in place.
• Seeking reasonable assurance as to the integrity and reliability of the Council’s financial and non-financial reporting.
• Providing a communications link between management, the Council and the external and internal auditors and ensuring their independence and adequacy.
• Promoting a culture of openness and continuous improvement.

An independent audit committee member is defined as a person who is not employed by, or providing any services to, the organisation beyond his or her duties as a committee member.

The Council publicly advertised Expressions of Interest for the role throughout November and December 2019, seeking a candidate that could demonstrate an understanding of financial reporting in New Zealand, an understanding of the treasury function and mechanisms, and broad governance experience, among other qualities.  

Lead by Independent Chair Mr Bain, Members of the Risk and Assurance Committee include Councillor Tim Aitken (Deputy Chair), Mayor Walker, Councillor Brent Muggeridge, Councillor Jerry Greer and Councillor Gerard Minehan.

Mr Bain’s appointment will stand until December 2022.

You can find more information on how the Risk and Assurance Committee operates here.

24 February 2020

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