Independent appointments strengthen audit and risk oversight

The appointments follow the guidance from the Office of the Auditor-General, which recommends councils appoint one or more independent members to audit and risk committees or subcommittees. This approach supports open, and independent discussion and strengthens governance oversight.

David Cochrane brings more than 40 years’ experience in public and commercial law, governance and risk. He has held senior roles advising central and local government and has provided deep expertise in statutory compliance, governance processes and risk management. David has been a foundation Board member and Audit & Risk Committee member of the NZ Infrastructure Commission, and an independent Risk & Assurance Committee member of another Council within our region.

Kevin Ramsay has more than 30 years’ experience in local government, including senior leadership roles as a chief financial officer and general manager. His background includes financial management, audit and risk reporting, insurance and long-term planning. Ramsay has also recently supported the Office of the Auditor-General on multiple long-term audit reviews across councils, bringing a strong audit and assurance perspective to the role.

Council first appointed an independent chair to the subcommittee in June 2020 following a publicly advertised process. The inaugural chair, Sue Tindal, has provided independent leadership since that time.

The Komiti Iti Ahumoni i Tūraru, Audit and Risk Subcommittee plays a key role in supporting Council by providing independent oversight of financial management, risk, assurance and governance practices.

Alongside the new independent appointments, the current membership of the subcommittee also includes Mayor Ken Laban, Deputy Mayor Keri Brown and Councillor Tony Stallinger.

These appointments reinforce Council’s commitment to strong governance, transparency and accountability for the Lower Hutt community.