After an extensive recruitment process, the Wairoa district finally has a new Building Control Officer. Sam Hayward joined the Wairoa District Council at the start of November and has hit the ground running.

Originally from Gisborne, Mr Hayward has relatives from Wairoa and spent time here when he was younger. “We use to come to Wairoa quite a lot, to go surfing, fishing and to spend time with family. Although I grew up in Gisborne, I have whanau here; I have connections to this place and now that I work here, I’m really keen to get stuck in.”

“I started as an apprentice and did my trade in carpentry; I worked my way up from being a leading hand, foreman, and right through to being a site supervisor. I’ve worked in all aspects of the industry from new homes, alterations, commercial ventures and other large scale sites.”

“It’ll be interesting being on the other side of the fence, but I think I’ll bring a really good perspective because I understand what builders are going through and I’m here to work alongside them. I don’t want to be that guy with a clip board; I want to have meaningful conversations about what’s required, what’s needed and how we can do that together”, Mr Hayward says.

After leaving Gisborne, Mr Hayward worked in Hamilton and then Perth, Western Australia. He has recently returned back to New Zealand. “Wairoa is a pretty cool town actually, the people are really nice and it’s going to be great to get out and about, to meet and get to know people.”

Regulatory Manager, Helen Montgomery, says that “Building Control Officers are as rare as hen’s teeth these days. Due to the demand by Christchurch and Auckland, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to recruit staff for these sorts of roles and in particular to attract staff to work in the regions. I’m really pleased we’ve been able to appoint Sam. He brings over 12 years industry experience and I know he will serve our community well.”

“I know it’s been quite a process to get this appointment in place, but I’d like to thank our community and in particular the building fraternity of Wairoa for their patience. I’d also like to say a special thanks to Bill Dicken, Tony Hale and to the Gisborne District Council for their support and assistance as we’ve gone through this appointment process,” says Ms Montgomery.

5 July 2016

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