The council was formed in 1989, replacing
Greymouth County Council (1868–1989) and
Runanga County Council (1912–1989). In 2020, the council had 78 staff, including 10 earning more than $100,000. According to the right-wing
New Zealand Taxpayers' Union think tank, residential rates averaged $1,739. In December 2021, the council replaced four senior management roles during a restructure following a critical review. In late October 2022, Council chief executive Paul Morris proposed eliminating 17 executive and middle management roles in favour of creating nine new positions. On 7 March 2024, Morris resigned as the Council's chief executive, effective immediately. On 13 March, the Greymouth Council appointed former chief executive Paul Prestorius as interim chief executive until a new chief executive could be recruited. On 15 May 2024, the Council announced that it would be withdrawing from
Local Government New Zealand, the representative body for local councils in New Zealand.
Mayor of Grey Tania Gibson cited disagreement with the representative body's handling of the previous
Sixth Labour Government's
Three Waters reform programme as a reason for leaving the organisation. In late September 2024, Joanne Soderlund was appointed as the Grey District's new chief executive. As the first female chief executive, Soderland had previously served as the chief executive of the
Shire of Tammin in
Western Australia. ==References==