Post Politics Career
Creech remained as the party's deputy leader until February 2001, when he chose to stand down. He was replaced by Bill English. Creech did not stand for re-election in the 2002 elections.
Following his retirement from politics, Creech headed up a small group that took advantage of the opportunities created by the deregulation of the dairy industry by the founding of the Open Country Cheese Company, located near Matamata, in Waikato. This has now grown into Open Country Dairy Co Ltd with both milk powder and cheese production facilities in Waharoa (near Matamata), Waikato, Awarua (near Invercargill) and Wanganui. The original cheese company was formed on 28 November 2001 (the date on which the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act 2001 received the Royal Assent. Manufacturing commenced in October 2004. In 2007 Creech and his associates launched as an offshoot from the commodity product manufacturing operation Open Country a new specialty cheese production focussed operation Kaimai Cheese (named after the local mountain range) and served from commencement as its Chairman. In 2009 he joined the board of NZ Windfarms. Creech also serves on the boards of Seales Limited, a Waikato based stock feed manufacturing firm, the Cognition Education Trust (a trust supporting education research in New Zealand), and Healthcare New Zealand Limited (providing various community based health services). In September 2009 Creech joined the New Zealand Fire Service as Deputy Chair.
In 2009-10, Creech was commissioned by the Minister for the Environment and the Minister of Local Government to head a review of the performance of Environment Canterbury. Their report was highly critical of the performance and capability of the organisation, and while the recommendations were controversial, were fully implemented by the government.
Creech served as part of the Solomon Islands International Election Observer Team in the 2001 General Election in that nation. He also led the New Zealand Election Observer Team in the August 2010 General Election in Solomon Islands.
As former directors of failed investment and property company Blue Chip run by Mark Bryers, Creech and John Luxton are included (2012) in two lawsuits which allege breach of their duty to investors.
Read more about this topic: Wyatt Creech
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