Kym Fell, Chief Executive, Whanganui District Council located on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The famous Whanganui River is New Zealand’s longest navigable river.

Whanganui District Council serves a district of some 2,373 square kilometres with a population of 47,300 people. Whanganui is known for its parks, gardens and heritage buildings and is home to many artists, while opportunities for sports and outdoor recreation abound. The Whanganui River, Te Awa Tupua, flows from the slopes of Mount Tongariro through to the Tasman Sea and is central to the history, culture and economy of our district.

When the New Zealand Government announced measures to combat COVID-19 in March 2020, our first priority was to ensure the provision of essential services to our community.

Several months before, we had formed a crisis team to plan for the approaching pandemic and when the time came, we were ready to act. We closed facilities, transitioned our staff to work from home during lockdown and mobilised around critical lifelines like water, wastewater, roading and emergency management.

We were also able to support our local health board by accommodating an emergency operations centre and offering logistics, planning, welfare, civil defence and communications personnel.

Many of our employees have stepped into temporary roles. A need for community welfare support has seen a diverse group of staff taking calls, listening to people in need, shopping and delivering groceries to vulnerable members of our community. They have formed a unique team of their own, maintaining their energy and resilience throughout with humour, empathy – and what seems like an unending supply of treats!

People are the most important part of any organisation and I am very proud the way my team has delivered in the most testing of circumstances.

Kym Fell
Chief Executive
Whanganui Council - NZ