Google’s worldwide cutbacks have reached our shores. The search giant will not replace outgoing New Zealand country manager Rachael Cotton-Bronte, who resigned in November.

A tight-lipped Google won’t say how many staff remain in New Zealand, but previous job advertisements indicate it’s around five. Spokeswoman Annie Baxter says the New Zealand staff will focus on selling the company’s Ad Words product, and will be managed out of Google’s 200-man Sydney office.

Development initiatives like maps.google.co.nz are already driven out of Sydney. Fronde was appointed the local agent for Google’s corporate products in August last year.

Ms Cotton-Bronte, whose departure was first revealed in Reseller News, lasted just nine months in the role, beating the record set by her predecessor at a local outpost with a chequered past.

Google established an on-the-ground in June 2006, opening an Auckland office with then 32-year-old Forsyth Thompson appointed New Zealand country manager.

After a two-month training tour of the US and Australia, Mr Thompson abruptly resigned to become publisher of Computerworld and CIO at Fairfax Business Media’s NZ office. He is now group advertising manager at APN magazines.

The position then remained vacant for more than a year before Ms Cotton-Bronte, ex HP, was appointed in March 2008.

Ms Cotton-Bronte has now joined marketing consultancy Fast Forward as a senior consultant.