Whakatāne District Council paid out five severance packages totalling $224,785 over the year ending June 30.

Its Annual Report 2024-2025, adopted at a meeting last week showed amounts of $66,303.25, $34,439.90, $74,042, $10,000 and $40,000 paid to departing staff members.

This was up from $28,028 across two staff members in the previous year and one payment of $5309 in the 2022-2023 year.

Councillor Toni Boynton noted at the meeting that the report showed there had been no employment disputes. She said it was understandable that when there was new leadership there were staff that came and went.

The Whakatāne council saw a change of chief executive last year with Stephanie O’Sullivan taking up a new position as chief executive of Waipā District Council and the appointment of former general manager of strategy and transformation Steven Perdia to the role.

A restructuring of the executive management roles followed, with the number of general manager positions reduced in number from six to five.