Our Water Future: putting water at the centre of our city

Our Water Future: putting water at the centre of our city

Join us at Auckland Conversations as we discuss how to change the way we think about, value and manage one of our most precious resources: water.

5:00pm: Networking & refreshments
5:30pm: Start
7:00pm: Finish

Facilitated by our MC Te Radar, our panel of experts will kick start the conversation to help identify challenges and find new strategies and solutions to promote sustainable management of Te Mauri o te wai - the life supporting capacity of Auckland’s water.

Water quality is becoming an issue for Auckland. From believing that water was plentiful and free to now facing the impacts of water scarcity, poor water quality and the effects of climate change, but what can we do about it?

A value-based approach connects our decisions back to what matters most. When we talk about values, we are describing what is important to us: the deep connections between water, the environment and people. We all have a responsibility and an interest in working together to ensure our decisions are improving our water future, not deferring the problems for future generations to resolve. There are different ideas of how we protect and enhance Te Mauri o te wai, and we believe this opens an exciting space for discussion and collaboration. 

Please note spaces are limited for this event. Watch the livestream online.

Listen to the podcast

Rereata Makiha

Nga Puhi, Te Arawa, Rangitane

Rereata is a renowned Māori Astrologer and one of the leading authorities on the Maramataka (Māori Lunar Calendar). He is conducting research on how to determine the phases of the Maramataka (Maori Lunar Calendar) with the Auckland University, and how Maori in past times managed their lives and how tasks were carried out in accordance with the Maramataka, including fishing, planting, and harvesting—all dependent on the lunar cycle and other signs within nature.

Andrew Chin

IPENZ Chartered Member C.WEM MCIWEM

Andrew is the Auckland’s Waters Portfolio Manager at Auckland Council and is currently leading the development of the Auckland’s Waters Strategy. This strategy reflects Auckland Council’s role as a unitary authority and will encompass all waters, including natural surface waters, stormwater, wastewater, drinking water, groundwater, estuarine, and marine.  

Andrew’s 19 year career in the water industry has taken him across many disciplines in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, from engineering design, construction, asset management and now strategic planning in both the public and private sectors.

Andrew is qualified as both an engineer and a planner with Bachelors in Environmental Engineering from Massey University, and a Masters in Planning Practice from Auckland University. Bringing together these two qualifications at the start of his career was an important step towards obtaining his current role. This has put him in a position to help guide the development of Auckland to achieve better water quality outcomes, which is at the heart of what motivates him. 

Ian Boothroyd

Ecologist, Senior Principal Auckland, Boffa Miskell

Ian has over 25 years’ experience in environmental management, monitoring, policy development and assessment, auditing, research and decision-making in the New Zealand environment.

Experienced in assessing and reviewing the environmental effects of small to large developments ranging from energy generation activities, extractive mining, roading, stormwater and sediment effects in urban and peri-urban subdivisions, and the effects of discharge of treated wastewater to water.

Ian has carried out extensive ecological surveys and provided resource management advice to national, regional and local governments, SOEs, private business and community groups. Recently, he has provided advice to several Councils on biodiversity-related matters including biodiversity offsets.

Co-author of several national standards for freshwater and biodiversity management and monitoring in New Zealand. Ian has substantial experience as an expert witness and has appeared at many resource consent hearings and in the Environment Court. He is regularly called upon to provide independent expert testimony and is also an accredited and experienced environmental commissioner.

Penny Hulse

Councillor, Auckland Council

Councillor Penny Hulse represents the Waitākere Ward on the Auckland Council and is Chair of the Environment and Community Committee.

She brings 25 years of local government experience to the role having first been elected to the Waitākere Community Board in 1992 before being elected Chair of the Board in 1994.

In 1995 she was elected as a Waitākere City Councillor and as a Trustee of the Waitakere Licensing Trust.
Since then she has served as Chair on a range of committees including Healthy City, Environmental Management, City Development, and Community & Public Health. She was Deputy Mayor to Sir Bob Harvey from 2007 until 2010. Following amalgamation, she then served two terms as Deputy Mayor to Len Brown and successfully led the Unitary Plan process.
She has been instrumental in helping build the West and understands the area and people well. Penny has strong links with her community and cares passionately about the Auckland region. She served two terms on the Waitemata District Health Board, is currently a Director of West Auckland Trust Services and an elected member of the Waitakere Licensing Trust.

Her other community involvement includes Community Waitākere Charitable Trust, West Auckland Riding for the Disabled, The Waitākere Brass Band, Trustee of Swanson Railway Station Trust, Waitākere Anti Violence Essential Services  and former Director of EECA Board.
Penny’s special areas of interest are Climate Change, Sustainable City Development, Environmental Advocacy, Community Development and Youth Empowerment. She is also a big supporter of arts and culture. 

Penny is a keen cyclist and has been commuting to the CBD from Te Atatu Peninsula by electric bike since the opening of the Nelson Street Cycleway in December 2015.

Tracy Brown

Chair, DairyNZ Dairy Environment Leaders Forum

Tracy has been leading environmental change for dairy through her roles as Chair of the DairyNZ Dairy Environment Leaders Programme, Chair of the Ballance Farm Environment Awards Alumni, and as farmer representative on the Dairy Environment Leadership Group (DELG) which oversees the Water Accord. 

She has been involved with setting the future direction for dairy as a farmer rep on the Dairy Industry Strategy Refresh Working Group.  Tracy is a Dairy Women’s Network Trustee, a Director for Te Rarawa Farming Ltd in the Far North, a St Pauls Collegiate School Trustee and Chair of the Matamata Intermediate Board of Trustees. She is also currently taking part in the Fonterra Governance Development Programme.

Tracy, originally from Northland (Te Rarawa, Ngai tupoto) she married to Wynn.  She lives near Matamata on their 700 cow, 310ha (240ha milking platform) system 3 farm ‘Tiroroa’ (extensive view or view to the future) which won the Waikato Ballance Farm Environment Supreme Award in 2010.  An Agri-Women’s Development Trust ‘Escalator’ Alumni, she won the ‘Sustainability Superstar’ Award in the Sustainable Business Network Awards and was a finalist in the 2017 Westpac Women of Influence Awards. 

Tracy was an Economist at the NZ Meat and Wool Boards Economic Service (now Beef + Lamb New Zealand) prior to entering the dairy industry.  Tracy has a BAgrSci (Hons) from Massey University, is a Kelloggs Rural Scholar (Lincoln University) and has a postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies (Waikato University).  Tracy’s strengths are in strategy, collaboration and connectedness and is a member of the Institute of Directors.  Tracy has four children age 13 to 18yrs enjoys mountain biking, walking and anything to do with the sea.

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