Photo: Supplied / Christchurch City Council
Christchurch City Council chief executive Dawn Baxendale has resigned.
The Christchurch City Council has released a statement saying Baxendale is leaving before her contract expires for personal reasons.
Baxendale tendered her resignation last Monday, and the council accepted it at an unexpected closed door meeting last week.
She started in the role late-2019 after undertaking the same role at the Birmingham council in Britain.
Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said Baxendale had overseen significant decisions and major challenges for the city.
He said during her time as chief executive there had been major challenges and opportunities for the council, including the Covid pandemic, the development of the stadium Te Kaha and improving the council's credit rating.
Earlier in November, Mauger and Baxendale apologised for the way council handled the response to the stench caused by the Bromley wastewater treatment plant fire.
An independent review of the council's response and recovery of the event, released last month, showed the council's response was substandard, particularly around addressing welfare concerns for affected residents.