Council approves independent review of NZICPA investment

Published on 24 March 2026

Whanganui District Council has approved an independent review into its investment in the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy (NZICPA), following the recent release of a historical overview of the project.

Mayor Andrew Tripe said the approval reflects the importance of transparency and accountability to the community.

“Given the scale of the investment and the level of public interest, it’s important we take an independent look at what happened since NZICPA’s inception eleven years ago in 2015.

“An external review will help provide a clear understanding of the decisions made over time and the lessons we can take from them.

“The independent review will inform future governance and oversight of significant future Council investment decisions”.

The Terms of Reference for the review will be developed by officers and brought back to the council-controlled organisation and economic growth (CCO&EG) committee and the council for approval. The procurement of the independent reviewer will also be brought back to CCO&EG Committee and the council for approval. 

The review is expected to commence once the Terms of Reference are finalised and an independent reviewer is appointed.

The council will provide further updates as the review progresses.