The Buller District Council: A Well-Oiled Machinery

“Our goal is to promote the well-being of our local communities.”

The Buller District Council (BDC) is the territorial authority for the northern West Coast. It was established on March 6, 1989. Presently, Jamie Cleine heads the council and serves as the Mayor.

BDC’s mission is to serve the residents of the district by providing facilities and services and creating an appropriate environment for progress and development while preserving the distinctive natural environment, as well as the cultural and historical environments.

The Buller district is a progressive district led by a small but strong governance and management team. To lead the district’s community into the future, BDC gains strength from its sound governance and strong partnerships with central government, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae, local businesses, and the people its serves – the community. 
Buller ranked second in the country for GDP growth for the year ending March 2022 compared to the year ending March 2021. The increase of 15 percent in Buller’s GDP is a great result considering the challenges the district has faced. Residential consents increased  94 percent in Buller and the district recorded a 148.2 percent increase in non-residential consents.

For the year ending March 2022 the West Coast Region experienced a 9.3 percent GDP growth , and New Zealand overall recorded a national average of 5.2 percent growth highlighting Buller’s performance.

With an enviable climate, laid-back lifestyle, and close-knit community, Buller is a great place to live, work, play and visit. The district’s 8,574 square kilometers boasts two national parks, one forest park, and two heritage areas, all offering the opportunity to experience peace and tranquility or excitement and adventure.

The Silicon Review reached out to BDC’s headquarters and spoke with the Mayor and the Chief Executive Officer, Sharon Mason. Here’s what they said.

“Our goal is to promote the well-being of our local communities,” said Jamie Cleine.

The council’s responsibility is to plan for the social, cultural, environmental, and economic future of the whole Buller District. This encompasses enabling democratic decision-making and action by and on behalf of the people of Buller district. Promote the social, economic, environmental, and social well-being of the district. And develop strategies and policies to set the direction for the future of the council through democratic decision-making processes such as informing the public, consulting, and involving residents in the decision-making process.

This involves making tough decisions between competing priorities, juggling limited resources, and maintaining focus on the ‘big picture’ for the good of the whole district. This is a complex task and how BDC aims to achieve this is written out in the ‘2021-2031 Long Term Plan’. This guiding document provides the councillors and council management with a clear direction over the next 10 years.

“Every step BDC takes is a step toward achieving our community’s vision for the future while building on the foundations put in place through district revitalisation, and Provincial Growth Fund investment,” said Sharon Mason.

Facilitating Change

BDC is a significant driver in the district to ensure reliable and quality health. When the local practice was at risk of being lost, BDC championed by the CEO made a bold move to purchase the practice to ensure healthcare for the community was maintained. The local GP practice and dentist belong to the Buller Health Trust with BDC’s CEO and the Mayor being the trustees.

Both healthcare providers have been successful over the recent years in expanding their client base. The next step will see both providers and the local physio moving into a purpose build primary care and integrated health centre in Westport.
Construction is expected to start in September 2022 with completion due around the middle of 2023. The new facility will house Westport Dental, Coast Medical practice, and Coast Physiotherapy. The space has been designed with options to provide a wider range of services in the future.

“Innovation and forward-thinking are the drivers of the small, but dedicated team that works hard to create a better now and tomorrow for the people in Buller,” said Sharon Mason.

Prioritising Collaboration 

Buller District Council prepares the district for a changing future. Besides its natural environment and rich biodiversity, BDC continues to collaborate with other entities to improve the well-being of local communities.

“We are currently implementing a strategy around the development of regenerative pathways that delivers outcomes for both our people and environment. We also recognize that successfully addressing the critical issues of our time, even at a local level, cannot be achieved in isolation. Instead, BDC actively partners with mana whenua Ngāti Waewae and other like-minded strategically-focused organisations to address our goals in common around climate change and biodiversity protection..”

With Tai Poutini Polytechnic, the council has recently collaborated on a Conservation Training and Employment Hub in Westport to prepare rangatahi (youth) for a regenerative economy and as kaitiaki (guardians) of the future. Through its industry networks, BDC is exploring opportunities to improve local resilience through expanding horticultural and native plant propagation sector activity. And through its membership with the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance and connection with The Nature Conservancy, the council is applying a strategic conservation planning approach that focuses on future opportunities for conservation and biodiversity restoration outcomes.

Leadership | The Buller District Council

Jamie Cleine, Mayor: The overall role of the Mayor is to lead and guide the council’s efforts to give effect to the purpose of local government, as well as any statutory duties required to carry out.

The role of the Major is described in the LGA 2002, which highlights the Major’s duty to provide leadership to the elected council and the people of the district. This involves leading the development of key plans such as the Long Term Plan, Annual Plan, and Council budgets. The Mayor also holds a key role in community leadership which ties back to his mandate that he was chosen by the people to represent their general or collective interests.

Jamie was born and raised in Westport, grew up on the family farm, and attended school in Westport. He completed trade qualifications in Farm Business Management which he has applied to his own farming business for over 20-years. Jamie gained his commercial experience serving as a company director and collected governance experience in the health and aged care sector. 

Jamie made the move to local government in 2016 as a councillor for Westport and was elected Mayor in 2019. 

Jamie’s leadership style is practical and pragmatic where honest and genuine conversations encourage his thoughtful quality decision-making. He enjoys ongoing professional development and has completed courses in leadership and critical thinking furthering his expertise.

Sharon Mason, CEO: Sharon is an experienced CEO in local government with over 20 years of experience as a health executive in the New Zealand and Australian health systems. She has a proven track record of success in leading transformational change, building positive workplace culture, and delivering strong results which are the very skills that brought her to work for BDC.

As CEO of the BDC, Sharon Mason has championed its transformation. It now ranks second in GDP growth in New Zealand and leads economic growth for the West Coast Region. Buller Districts’ economic indicators have significantly improved for the first time in over a decade. She has achieved this by working in partnership with her team, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae, central government, local businesses, and the community.

Sharon has led the development of an economic strategy for Buller. This has led to job creation and positive GDP improvement over the past three years, and secured funding of NZD 18m from the central government’s Provincial Growth Fund for the development of strategic assets.

“Innovation and forward-thinking are the drivers of the small, but dedicated team that works hard to create a better now and tomorrow for the people in Buller.”