Mō mātou About us

As Executive Director of Te Uru Kahika, Liz provides strategic direction, operational oversight, and accountability for the activities of Te Uru Kahika under our guiding principles.

Liz's leadership has supported the establishment of key regional government priorities including climate adaptation, resource management replacement, freshwater, transport, Kaupapa Māori, and supported other important initiatives.

From her base in the Hawke's Bay, Liz heads Te Uru Kahika's Virtual Office of Directors, Executive Policy Advisors, Chief Science and Strategic Advisers. With her strong background in policy and her experience in regional council leadership, Liz deeply understands regional government and the benefits from councils working together.

Tom's role is to provide strategic advice to the Regional Chief Executive Officers' Group and support operational leadership across our Te Uru Kahika Special Interest Group network. Tom has a keen interest in system-level issues and he's operationalising how we perform as a regional sector, making sure we get the best return from working together. 

In this generalist role, Tom's work spans the key challenges and opportunities facing regional government, and he works to ensure we're making progress on them for the benefit of New Zealand.

Tom joined Te Uru Kahika in April 2024. He came to the sector office after ten years at Horizons Regional Council, and a decade and a half in central government prior to that. Over that time, he's worked on broad range of policy and evidence-related topics including climate change, organisational strategy, and environmental reporting. 

Chris started a half-time secondment as Te Uru Kahika’s Chief Science Advisor in 2022. He is also Chief Science Advisor at NIWA, a role he has held since 2020. Originally from Canada, he completed his PhD at McGill University in Montreal and held post-doctoral fellowships at the University of British Columbia and the University of Ottawa before moving to New Zealand in 2002. 

Prior to joining NIWA, he held roles as Principal Analyst at the Ministry for the Environment, and as Director of the Environment and Materials Division within the Executive Team at GNS Science. Chris has had previous science advisory positions within central government, several regional councils, and the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency.  

He has research interests in freshwater science, especially in groundwater quality and microbiology.

Al brings three decades of experience in regional government across strategy and policy development, regulatory delivery and implementation of catchment operational programmes and strategies at scale; coming to Te Uru Kahika after nearly five years in the executive leadership team at Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Al’s role is to work with sector leaders and a wide range of regional government experts to bring together prioritised work programmes across the RM Reform and Climate Adaptation areas – two of the five sector strategic priorities in 2024. This work also involves significant relationship building across a range of partners including central government agencies.

He is driven by helping our sector build connections across our networks, and working with external agencies to pave the way for our leaders and experts to influence the Government’s reform agenda to the benefit of our environment, mana whenua and regional communities.

Nicole works with the 16 regional and unitary councils, across the Special Interest Group Network, and externally to further Te Uru Kahika initiatives. An advocate for public engagement and evidence-based decision-making, she was naturally drawn to regional government.

Recognising the complexity of regional and unitary council responsibilities, Nicole is working towards greater awareness of the significant value our councils contribute. From climate adaptation and natural hazards resilience, through to resource management, biodiversity and biosecurity, and regional transport – the work of regional government matters. 

In addition to being Communications Lead for Te Uru Kahika, Nicole also works with science institutes and other forward-looking organisations through Memo Communications.

Nicole is originally from the UK and pleased to call New Zealand home. Through the collective efforts of Te Uru Kahika, she hopes we can help to safeguard the essence of what makes this place special for generations to come.

Graeme is working for Te Uru Kahika to support delivery of Before the Deluge 2.0 projects, development of further projects to reduce flood risk, and as Convenor of the River Managers Special Interest Group.

Graeme has a degree of Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) and is a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) graduating in 1981. He has 40 years experience, principally in the field of Floodplain Management Planning, Flood Risk Management and River Engineering.

Graeme has worked in Gisborne, including a range of river engineering and hydraulic modelling projects, as well as a number of projects relating to the recovery from Cyclone Bola. He has also spent a period of time overseas working as a consultant in England, before returning to New Zealand and continuing work here, as a consultant. His work has included a range of natural hazard related projects in New Zealand, the Pacific, Australia and Asia.

From 2006 to 2023 Graeme has been the Manager of the Flood Protection Department, Wellington Regional Council (including both the Wairarapa and Wellington Flood Protection staff). His experience in the field of river and floodplain hydraulics has included extensive studies of computer modelling of flood extents, river characteristics, sedimentation, channel management, risk and damage assessment, planning and project management. He has personally undertaken design and investigation work on rivers and floodplains across the North Island.

Christina is the Freshwater Implementation Director for Te Uru Kahika and based in Christchurch where she works independently out of Happen Consulting. Christina has a lifetime of experience in freshwater spanning regional councils, central government, and primary industry. She's worked in science, engineering, facilitation, strategy and even dabbled in plan writing. Christina understands what goes into an LTP! (and she never forgets about groundwater).

As Freshwater Implementation Director, Christina is always looking for opportunities to share experiences across councils to make it easier and more effective for them to do their jobs. She enjoys making connections between people and programmes, putting councils in touch with others facing similar challenges, and highlighting successes and challenges with central government.

Alongside a small group of directors from councils, Christina works to support the Regional Chief Executives in their desire for a collective approach and oversee a work programme on freshwater that is joint with councils, Ministry for the Environment, and with other government departments where beneficial.

Warwick's role with Te Uru Kahika is to coordinate the Freshwater Farm Plan legislation implementation across regional and unitary councils and support the development of shared services that councils need to implement the regulations.

Warwick has a natural resource management background. With a particular interest in ecology and land use, Warwick has held roles with Department of Conservation and as the General Manager of Integrated Catchments at Bay of Plenty Regional Council. For the past few years, he has worked as independently, mostly with the primary sector, supporting farmers in meeting their environmental obligations. 

He is strongly convinced about the power of relationships and the potential of council collaboration to learn together, create efficiencies, and reduce costs.

Nō Ōtautahi ahau

He Tangata Tiriti ahau

I tupu ake au ki Fiji

Nō Europe ōku tūpuna

Ko Miria Goodwin tōku ingoa

Miria provides dedicated policy, organizational and facilitation support for our Māori Special Interest Group Ngā Kairapu. Kaupapa Māori is a key priority for Te Uru Kahika, and Miria works alongside our sector’s kaimahi Māori to support their mahi. Miria works closely with Te Uru Kahika and other organisations to help understand what genuine Tiriti partnership looks like and to drive and embed systemic change for positive long-term outcomes. Miria has been in local government for 15 years in various roles including the Christchurch City Council, Environment Canterbury and Te Uru Kahika, with an environmental social science research focus prior to her time with local government. Miria brings an understanding of regional council governance, environmental policy and strategy, and community-council partnerships to her work for Te Uru Kahika and to the Ngā Kairapu goals of improving regional government outcomes for iwi and hapū. Miria works part time for Te Uru Kahika, with other engagements including facilitation mahi and being an active member of the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River Network in Ōtautahi.

He uri ahau o Te Waipounamu

Ko Tangata Tiriti ahau

I tipu ake ahau ki Hakatere, heoi, e noho ana ahau ki te Wairarapa

Ko Scott Summerfield tōku ingoa

Scott works for Ngā Kairapu, the Māori Special Interest Group, as part of Te Uru Kahika, alongside Miria Goodwin and other members of the virtual office. His mahi is on supporting a Māori capability programme across all regional and unitary councils, looking for ways to address sector-wide issues around Māori capability within councils, and nurturing the Māori workforce in regional government. Over the last twelve years Scott has worked across a variety of kaupapa, often at the intersection of local government and Te Tiriti o Waitangi issues (as well as a few other bits and pieces). This has involved time with the Office of Treaty settlements (now Te Arawhiti), Thames-Coromandel District Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council (twice!) and Ministry for the Environment. In his spare time, you'll find Scott enjoying art, gardening, hiking, reading, swimming, travelling, cooking, and enjoying the fermented grape lifestyle that's inherent in the Wairarapa.

Natasha provides administrative support to Te Uru Kahika as a collective. This includes support for the Regional Chief Executives Group as a collective, and the Virtual Team and Office.

It's a busy role that involves organising Te Uru Kahika related events such as our annual Leaders’ Plenary Events and Te Uru Kahika Roadshow, as well as being a first point of contact for general Te Uru Kahika enquiries.

Steve.Ellis@trc.govt.nz

claire.brown@wcrc.govt.nz

sam.thomas@orc.govt.nz

angela.foster@boprc.govt.nz

chris.choat@tasman.govt.nz

gail.jefferies@es.govt.nz

robert.laulala@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Aurora.Grant@ecan.govt.nz

joanna.gilroy@orc.govt.nz

Rita.Martin@boprc.govt.nz

mike.drummond@tasman.govt.nz

carolc@nrc.govt.nz

ross.lynch@gw.govt.nz

Ed.Brown@waikatoregion.govt.nz

anyad@nrc.govt.nz

glen.clarkin@boprc.govt.nz

amber.kreleger@ecan.govt.nz

nicki.wilson@waikatoregion.govt.nz

donna.hickey@gw.govt.nz

pim.demonchy@boprc.govt.nz

Haydon.Jones@waikatoregion.govt.nz

elsa.weir@boprc.govt.nz

marion.henton@boprc.govt.nz

grant.nalder@gw.govt.nz

Gavin@hbrc.govt.nz

Katherine.Trought@ecan.govt.nz

namouta.poutasi@boprc.govt.nz

iain@hbrc.govt.nz

shirley.hayward@ecan.govt.nz

Stefan.Beaumont@ncc.govt.nz

oliver.haycock@boprc.govt.nz