EXCLUSIVE By John Elworthy A FINANCE chief who moved to Australia but remained working for a Cambridgeshire council has jumped ship again and moved 2,000 miles further away to New Zealand. He obviously didn t like Australia, said Councillor Peter Skoulding, portfolio holder for f

A FINANCE chief who moved to Australia but remained working for a Cambridgeshire council has jumped ship again and moved 2,000 miles further away to New Zealand.

"He obviously didn't like Australia," said Councillor Peter Skoulding, portfolio holder for finance at Fenland District Council.

Cllr Skoulding said he couldn't be certain but he thought possibly Mr Taylor, 44, and his wife Kim didn't like the flies near their Adelaide home.

Now Mr Taylor has moved to New Zealand- 12,000 miles from the local authority's headquarters in March, Cambs- but for the council it's business as usual.

John Carey, the council's press officer, said today: "Mat Taylor and his family have very recently moved 'next door' to neighbouring New Zealand.

"His contract will work exactly the same as before- the move simply meant unplugging his computer at one end and plugging it straight back into the telephone socket of his new home."

Mr Carey added: "The technology makes the move seamless."

Council leader Geoff Harper said: "In truth nothing has changed. I wasn't expecting anything to change with the move. It doesn't make any difference to us as a council."

Cllr Harper said that Mr Taylor, who has a 12 month and �20,000 a year contract with Fenland Council, apparently didn't settle in Australia.

"He went there in the first place because he knew it and had been there before. Somewhere along the line he called at New Zealand and liked it. I've spoken to him once or twice but not about his move to New Zealand. He might have gone there on holiday whilst living in Australia."

Cllr Harper said the contract would be reviewed in the normal course of events: Cllr Skoulding said an option for Mr Taylor to return full time to his �100,000 a year post at Fenland always remained a possibility.

Last month councillors quizzed Mr Taylor in the council chamber via a web link with his then home in Australia.