Today Otago Regional Council chairwoman Hilary Calvert answers our questions. I began this triennium by wanting to work towards the ORC being the best council it could be. In 2026 the ORC will face major challenges with uncertainty around the future of not only regional councils but indeed all councils. It is even more important to be the very best council we can be. This support will require us to avoid asking staff to do unnecessary work and work which the ratepayers don’t want.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 15, 2026 16:02 UTC