New Plymouth District Council has poached the boss of its near neighbour to be its next chief executive.
New Plymouth District Council. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Craig Stevenson, who's been chief executive of the South Taranaki District Council for 13 years, will take up the job in October.
He replaces Barbara McKerrow, who resigned in March.
New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom said Mr Stevenson had stood out from a strong field of candidates.
In 2014 the South Taranaki council was fined $115,000 for breaching the Resource Management Act by discharging contaminants.
It had allowed Fonterra to dump 3 million litres of milk waste at the Eltham wastewater plant.
A foul smell from the waste plagued the town for months.