Canterbury, New Zealand
Governance, risk and resilience across water, climate and local government reform. Evidence over ideology. Delivery over noise.
The Canterbury Plains from the air
Navy officer, then recovery advocate through the Canterbury earthquakes, then business and elected office. I chair Environment Canterbury and lead the regional council sector nationally through Te Uru Kahika.
Governance, risk and resilience across water, climate and local government reform. Evidence over ideology. Delivery over noise.
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Speech
Chair's welcome, New Zealand River Managers' SIG Forum
Before anything else, thank you. Everyone in this room has spent the past few years doing this work under real pressure. Event after event, with a…
Media release
South Island’s contribution to the New Zealand economy
The South Island is playing a leading role in driving New Zealand's economy, outperforming the North Island across a range of economic measures in…
Media release
Canterbury's economic success relies on smarter transport investment
Canterbury is one of New Zealand's economic engines — home to nearly 700,000 people, generating $55.6 billion in GDP, more than $11.7 billion in…
Statement
Head Start and the future of essential regional services
Canterbury Regional Council supports reform that delivers better outcomes for communities and the environment — and is focused on ensuring regional…
Unanimously supported as Chair by the new council on 29 October 2025, after a year as Deputy Chair. Elected for Christchurch West/Ōpuna in 2022 and returned in 2025. The council covers more than 44,500 km² and about 700,000 people, with responsibility for freshwater, biodiversity, biosecurity, air quality, public transport and natural hazards.
DetailsTe Uru Kahika is the collective of New Zealand's regional and unitary councils. The role speaks for the sector nationally, including through LGNZ, while the Government reworks resource management law and the future of regional government.
DetailsResource management replacement, water services, the proposed removal of elected regional councillors and rising adaptation costs are all landing at once. The job is to make sure Canterbury's communities, mana whenua, farmers, growers and urban ratepayers shape the outcome rather than absorb it.
Vision 2030The task is not to force environmental systems into a tidier institutional map. It is to design institutions around the systems we are here to protect.
Leading the national voice of regional and unitary councils.
Unanimously supported as Chair at the inaugural meeting of the 2025 to 2028 council.
Christchurch West/Ōpuna constituency. Deputy Chair from October 2024.
One term on the city council during the central city rebuild.
Founded to back community-led recovery after the earthquakes. Later created the Eyes East series on the rebuild.
Early lessons in crisis management and leading a team under pressure.
Adaptation planning, natural hazards, flood protection funding.
Allocation, water quality, catchment groups, mana whenua partnership.
Council governance, risk frameworks, RMA hearings and decisions.
Community-led recovery and emergency management governance.
Email is quickest. Council business, such as a consent, rates or a complaint, goes through Environment Canterbury so it is recorded and answered properly.