Waitaki District Council is the territorial authority for the Waitaki District of New Zealand. The council is led by the mayor of Waitaki, who is currently. There are also 10 ward councillors.

Composition

Councillors

History

The council was formed in 1989. Its predecessors were Oamaru Borough Council (1866–1989), Palmerston County Council (1872–1966), Waitaki County Council (1876–1989), and Hampden Borough Council (1879–1989). In 2020, the council had 295 staff, including 40 earning more than $100,000. Waitaki District Council responded to this claim: “As stated to the Taxpayers’ Union many times previously, the numbers we report are for the whole group. This included Waitaki District Health Services, which runs Oamaru Hospital, and the Observatory Retirement Village. The staffing number and salary referred to covers doctors and other specialist medical staff who care for our community but are not council employees”. According to the Taxpayers' Union think tank, residential rates averaged $2,343.