“Unfortunately, the longer-term impacts appear secondary to short-term political considerations.
“The council has not openly acknowledged there is a planned ‘phase 3′ of restructuring, targeting frontline staff such as gardeners, street cleaners, parking officers, and Napier Assist officers.
“It raises the question as to whether these roles can genuinely be characterised as non-essential or administrative overhead, as some may suggest. No reasonable person would classify them as ‘paper pushers’.”
Napier City Council chief executive Louise Miller said the council was reviewing its organisational structure and consulting with staff on a proposal to reshape its four directorates.
“This consultation follows the restructuring of our executive leadership team in February, which reduced the number of directorates from five to four and resulted in the disestablishment of one executive director position,” Miller said.
“Several key factors are driving this proposed change, including direction from central Government to prioritise core services, major reform initiatives such as Local Water Done Well and the need to identify a further $3 million in labour efficiencies for the 2025/26 financial year.
“The proposed changes aim to create a more efficient, agile, and responsive structure that is better equipped to meet these challenges.”
While restructures were not uncommon in local government, another source told Hawke’s Bay Today the scale of this one was significant and many staff, some with decades of service, had been told their positions may no longer exist.
“What’s more concerning is that staff were reportedly warned not to speak to the media, raising questions about transparency and accountability in a publicly funded organisation.”
Another worker said the process has been handled in “an impersonal, top-down manner, with little regard for the human impact or the potential consequences for public service delivery”.
The restructure reportedly cites the commercialisation of key community facilities, including Ocean Spa, Par 2 Mini Golf, Kennedy Park Resort and the Napier Conference Centre as a key driver.
An annual plan hearing and deliberation process is under way to determine the future of these facilities.
A source said: “There are fears that essential community services may be reduced or outsourced without public consultation”.
Miller said the council acknowledged this was a difficult time for many of its staff, who are deeply committed to serving the Napier community.
“Our priority is to work closely with those affected by the proposals, to listen to their feedback, and to ensure they are fully supported throughout this process,” she said.
As of February 28, 2025, Napier City Council employed 785 staff on an average fulltime wage of $92,829 per annum.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
