‘Uncertainty’ around future governance of Venture Timaru

Saturday, 27 June 2026

Timaru’s business development and tourism promotions agency is undergoing a proposed staffing restructure, and a new report raises questions over the future of its governance.

A report for Tuesday’s Timaru District Council meeting, authorised by mayor Nigel Bowen, seeks council approval to reappoint directors Allan Booth and Stacey Scott through to the organisation’s annual meeting in December “to ensure continuity”.

It says the terms of directors would ordinarily be considered in line with the council’s usual appointment cycle being the annual meeting.

“However, the Section 17A Review which was completed from October 2025 through to February 2026 created uncertainty regarding future governance arrangements for Venture Timaru Ltd.

“As a result, it was considered practical to defer appointments until the review process had concluded, and council had greater clarity on Venture Timaru’s future.”

A Section 17A review was a statutory requirement under the Local Government Act 2002.

The act required councils to periodically review, at least every six years, the cost-effectiveness of infrastructure, public services and regulatory functions.

Booth, who was previously a council elected board member, remains on the board despite not seeking re-election as a councillor in October. Usually, an elected member would step down as a director at the end of a council term.

“However, this did not occur due to the uncertainty arising from the Section 17A Review,” the report says.

Booth had served on the board since 2019, and his “extensive local government experience and strong institutional knowledge” provided value to the organisation, it says.

In December 2024, Booth told The Timaru Herald he had stood down from his role as a director, after more than five years on the board, as he had done his time.

But just two months later he had been reappointed.

Scott, who had been on the board since 2021, would “provide strong governance continuity” if retained, and ensure the board had experienced elected member representation.

The agenda for Tuesday’s meeting includes the release of minutes from a public excluded workshop held in April 2025 which included a presentation and discussion on VT.

That workshop was attended by elected members, council staff and Venture Timaru (VT) representatives including chief executive Nigel Davenport and independent board members, chairperson Logan Hanifin, deputy chairperson Erin McNaught and Tony Howey.

Following a presentation of the organisation’s statement of intent, a list of bullet points for topics discussed included; the structure of VT and its ability to deliver, VT’s Make Timaru your Business Campaign’, sharing space with Timaru District Holdings Ltd (TDHL) and a range of other business-related issues.

In October, VT shifted from its office at the top end of Stafford St to the former Union Bank of Australia building, moving in underneath TDHL.

VT has been under increased pressure to perform over the past two years.

In December 2024, then-chairperson Tony Brien said the agency had to “do better” in attracting new business in response to questions from councillor Stu Piddington who suggested there had been plenty of talk but no action.

At the time, Brien said “there is no excuse – we need to deliver more and I’m not shying away from that’’.

At a council meeting three months later, in March 2025, VT chief executive Nigel Davenport admitted the agency needed to do a better job of attracting new business.

At that meeting, deputy mayor Scott Shannon told Davenport the council had waited a couple of years to “actually see some real actions, some plans about delivering on, I suppose, more than just being visionary, actually having some actual actions behind strategies”.

At the start of June, Davenport confirmed the organisation was undergoing a restructure as part of a broader review to ensure it was “fit for purpose”.

At the time, Davenport said no decisions had been made, and the focus was on “undertaking a respectful, and thorough consultation process with affected staff’’.

He refused to answer a number of questions relating to the restructure, such as when staff had been informed of the proposal, how many roles could be impacted, and when the consultation process would end.

Davenport was most recently been asked for an update on the process on Tuesday, but is yet to respond.

The Timaru Herald understands the restructure proposal was put to staff last month and could see a major reshuffle of the organisation with the roles of more than half its seven staff impacted.

VT operates on grants received from the council and government agencies as its primary funding sources.

In 2025, it received $1.5 million from local government and $217,000 from central government, as well as $352,000 from central government for service delivery contracts.

It received $51,000 from interest and dividends and $73,000 in other revenue, bringing its total income to $2.195m. That was back slightly on 2024’s total income of $2.343m.

In 2025, employee related costs sat at $686,119, which was up slightly on the $652,440 reported in 2024.

In both years, the organisation reported a surplus.

The projected budget for 2025/26, as listed in the statement of intent for VT, includes income from the council of $1.514m and expenses of $1.543m which would mean a $28,334 deficit.

Earlier this month, when asked if the organisation had been told to save money, or if it’s operational budget had been cut, the council’s general manager corporate, Stephen Doran, said: “The budget allocation for economic development and tourism is not proposed to decrease in Annual Plan 2026/27.”