New Regional Forum members announced

The Southland Regional Forum welcomes five new members to the team to help complete their work over the next 18 months.

Environment Southland People, Water and Land programme manager Bonny Lawrence said the five new members are Cain Duncan, Darren Rewi, Rose Hanley-Nickolls, Sean Bragg and Steph Blair.

The recruitment process attracted 18 highly qualified applicants with a range of skills and experience. “The new members have been appointed based on their interests and capability, and their fit with the existing Regional Forum team,” she said.

Some of the initial appointees to the forum have had changes in circumstances over the last two years and haven’t been able to continue their roles.

Dr Eva Hendriks, principal iwi advisor to the People, Water and Land programme said, “The five new members bring a strong te ao Māori and tikanga Māori knowledge, which was one area where the forum members felt they needed more support.”

“The forum also recognised the need for additional voices with an urban perspective,” she said.

The Southland Regional Forum was formed in early 2019 to consider and advise Environment Southland and Te Ao Marama Incorporated Board on the options available to achieve the communities’ aspirations for freshwater.

The 17 individuals who now make up the forum include one person aged 15-24, six people aged 25–44; nine aged 45–64 and one person over 65; four tangata whenua; eight women and nine men. Members live right across Southland including Bluff, Gore, Riverton, Te Anau, Winton, Wyndham, Tuatapere, Tokanui and Invercargill. One member currently resides in Queenstown. Occupations include dairy, sheep, beef and deer farmers, environmental education and project management, industry, and consultants. Community, professional and other interests are many and varied, reflecting the diversity of the Southland region.

Click here to find out more about the Regional Forum and their work.