Two of Environment Southland’s long-standing councillors are stepping down.
The Council held its final council meeting of this triennium today where the contributions and retirements of Councillor Ross Cockburn and Councillor Rowly Currie were acknowledged.
Ross Cockburn represented the Fiordland constituency for four terms from 2007.
This past term Ross was the chair of the Regional Services Committee and served on the Regulatory Committee, Strategy and Policy Committee, and the South Port New Zealand Sub-committee.
He was also a representative on the former Venture Southland Advisory Committee and was previously a long-standing member of the Te Anau River Liaison Committee.
During his time on Council, Ross has had a particular interest in biosecurity and river management, and has championed the Council’s River Corridor Concept Plan to manage unwanted vegetation alongside rivers and reduce the need for herbicide use.
Chairman Nicol Horrell said Ross’ contribution to his community and the Council has been notable. “He has been a committed Councillor, who can be relied on to work hard and get the job done. His passion and focus on improving the river berms in Southland will be an enduring legacy.”
Rowly Currie represented the Invercargill-Rakiura constituency for three terms since 2010.
This past term he served on the Regulatory Committee, the Strategy and Policy Committee, the
Regional Services Committee and the South Port New Zealand Sub Committee. As well, he was a representative of the Shared Services Forum and the Southland Community Broadcasters Trust.
During his time on Council, Rowly made a point of spending time with staff to understand first-hand what can be done to address the natural resource challenges of the region.
Chairman Horrell said Rowly is well-known and admired in the community and was a dependable Councillor who has always been passionate about recognising the good work people do. “Rowly was one of our environment awards’ judges for three years in a row. It was a demanding role and one he relished, visiting all nominees with great interest and ensuring Southland’s environmental champions were recognised.”
