Dr Tracey Batten (pictured) will step down as chair of the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) board, with her resignation taking effect on June 11.
Minister for ACC Hon Scott Simpson accepted the resignation, citing Batten’s family obligations in Australia as the reason for her departure.
Batten has served on the board since 2019 and assumed the chair role in March 2024. She will continue in her post until the scheduled June board meeting.
Deputy chair David Hunt will act as interim chair while the process of appointing a permanent successor is underway.
“ACC plays an incredibly significant role within New Zealand, and I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to contribute to the governance of ACC over the past six years,” Batten said. “I’m proud of the improvements we have seen in rehabilitation performance over the past six months, and I know ACC will continue to build on this positive momentum.”
Batten’s resignation comes during a board-initiated review into ACC’s workplace culture.
The independent assessment, announced in March, is designed to evaluate employee experiences and the effectiveness of the systems ACC uses to manage inappropriate behaviour and foster a safe work environment.
The review will examine how current policies and procedures align with ACC’s stated values and whether improvements are needed.
Leading the review are Doug Craig of RDC Group and Pip Muir, a partner at Simpson Grierson. Their findings are expected to be delivered to the board by the end of June.
ACC staff have been invited to provide confidential feedback as part of the process.
“The intent of this review is to evaluate workplace culture at ACC and the experiences of employees, as well as existing policies, systems, and procedures relating to inappropriate conduct and behaviour, and whether ACC has appropriate measures in place to deal with any inappropriate conduct and behaviour,” Batten said when the initiative was launched.
Simpson has been briefed on the review and has stated his support, adding that transparency and positive internal culture are high priorities.
