Councillor resigns as fallout from Gore mayor Ben Bell's meeting continues

Monday, 3 April 2023

Gore District councillor Bret Highsted has resigned from the council, effective immediately.

The fallout from the meeting to address issues between Gore district mayor Ben Bell and council chief executive Stephen Parry has continued, with the shock resignation of councillor Bret Highsted on Monday afternoon effective immediately.

Highsted was one of the most experienced councillors around the council table, having served five terms.

In a letter to deputy mayor Keith Hovell, Highsted apologised for commenting to an individual outside of the council before the council’s extraordinary meeting last week, which was held in-committee.

Highsted stressed he had not disclosed any information following the meeting.

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Highsted was unable to be reached for comment.

Gore mayor Ben Bell said Highsted’s experience would be missed from around the council table.

In the letter, Highsted said that since last year’s election, he had found the council environment “highly stressful and the levels of anxiety unsustainable”.

In November, Highsted clashed with Bell after he was not appointed a chairmanship or a place on any of the committees in Bell’s proposed governance structure.

Highsted was one of four councillors who boycotted a councillors retreat held in Cromwell, saying “Bell had campaigned on getting back to basics and it was ‘’disrespectful to the community, ratepayers, business people and the Mataura Licencing Trust to hold a retreat outside the district’’.

He also called Bell’s request to council employ a personal assistant a ‘’vanity project’’.

At the last election, Highsted was the highest polling candidate for the Gore Ward.

Gore District Council chief executive Stephen Parry said the resignation would trigger a by-election.

He was in his sixth term on the council and has held numerous senior roles, including Audit and Risk Committee chairman.

Bell was unaware of the resignation when contacted by Stuff.

“Was he going to tell his mayor?’’ he asked.

He did not know who the person was that Highsted had spoken to outside the council before the meeting.

“We had a turbulent time at the beginning of all of this, but I felt like we were making progress. He was helping some of the new council members with processes, and he has a wealth of experience around the council table which will be missed.

“His 15 or 16 years of service will be fondly remembered. I wish him well.’’

Chief executive Stephen Parry also said Highsted’s contribution around the council table would be missed.

“His peers and staff respected him for his agile mind and dedication to his role.”

Highsted’s resignation would trigger a by-election, Parry said.

The extraordinary meeting on March 28 was to provide councillors with an update from the Chief Executive’s Appraisal Committee.

All councillors were present at the meeting, which Hovell chaired.

Both Gore District Mayor Ben Bell and chief executive Stephen Parry were given the opportunity to address the meeting and answer questions from councillors separately.

As a result of the meeting, the council unanimously agreed to appoint a councillor to act as an intermediary between the mayor and chief executive for governance and relevant operational matters.

Cr Richard McPhail has confirmed that he will take on that role, subject to council approval.

The council also resolved to remove the mayor from the Chief Executive’s Appraisal

Committee and appoint Crs Keith Hovell, Richard McPhail, John Gardyne and Bronwyn Reid.