Four Directors

• Four Director roles on the inaugural board of a new water services CCO
• Foundation governance opportunity for South Canterbury and Mackenzie
• Help deliver safe, reliable water services for generations to come

About the Organisation:

Central South Island Water Limited is a new council-controlled organisation being established by Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils under the Government's Local Water Done Well reforms. It will take over delivery of drinking water and wastewater services across the Timaru and Mackenzie districts from 1 July 2027. The organisation is expected to hold assets worth close to half a billion dollars, with responsibility for essential services for current and future generations.

A Chair has been appointed and CSIW is now building out its Board with four additional Directors to guide the entity through this critical establishment phase and into early operations, working in partnership with the shareholding Councils and Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua as mana whenua for the region.

The Role:

Working alongside the Chair, Directors will help set CSIW's strategic direction and establish the governance, performance and risk frameworks the organisation needs from day one. This is a foundational governance role: you'll be shaping how a new entity operates, while ensuring it delivers safe, reliable and affordable water services to the communities of Timaru and Mackenzie for generations to come.

Directors will be expected to build strong working relationships with the shareholding councils, mana whenua, regulators and the wider community, and to navigate the practical realities of establishing a new commercial entity within a regulated, high-scrutiny environment.

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking Directors who collectively bring:

• Water and wastewater engineering, treatment operations and capital delivery experience, including operational consenting.
• Asset management and capital programme delivery, including building asset registers, Asset Management Plans and delivering multi-year capital programmes.
• Financial, commercial and treasury expertise, including LGFA covenant and treasury literacy and Audit & Risk Committee chairing experience.
• Governance and senior leadership at board level, including a Director able to step up as Deputy Chair, ideally with prior CCO or local government governance experience.
• Regulatory expertise spanning drinking water quality and compliance (Taumata Arowai) and economic regulation and information disclosure (Commerce Commission).
• Resource consents, RMA and environmental experience, alongside a genuine understanding of South Canterbury water consenting issues and existing relationships with Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua.
• Strong South Canterbury community and stakeholder networks across industrial, rural and community sectors.

These are collective board skills across the matrix - no individual Director needs to bring all of them.

To apply in strict confidence now, click ‘Apply for this job’ or email your cover letter and CV in a PDF format wherever possible to [email protected] quoting 9285SIsk. Applications close on 4th October 2026.  Emails will be electronically acknowledged and further correspondence may be by email.

To view the Candidate Briefing Information, please click here.

For more information please phone Louise Green on [+64 3 353 4367](tel:+64 3 353 4367).