​Environment Southland chief executive retires

MEDIA STATEMENT

Chairman Nicol Horrell

14 February 2022

Environment Southland chief executive retires

Rob Phillips is retiring after two terms as chief executive and councillors will begin the process to recruit a new chief executive in a public excluded meeting of Council, this week.

We have been fortunate to have a CE of Rob’s calibre leading the council for the past 10 years. His passion for Southland and his commitment to working with the community have been unwavering and he will be missed.

A key strength of Rob’s is his relationship skills. He has been instrumental in strengthening community partnerships, building relationships with industry organisations, Te Ao Marama, government ministers and departments and this has been an important factor in successfully progressing our work programmes. He has also steadfastly supported councillors and led the staff across a board range of work, which is often both complex and demanding.

I would like to personally thank Rob for his support and the excellent working relationship we have shared as CE and Chair.

Rob was an initiator of the Southland Regional Development Strategy (SORDS). He hosted the first SORDs office at Environment Southland. It was his belief in the strength of Southlanders working together and his facilitation skills, which included getting people around the table, that laid the foundations for moving the region forward. One of the early developments was the creation of Great South, but the momentum of SORDS continues to inspire economic diversity and further developments.

Rob brought his expertise to bear in the potentially devastating Velvetleaf pest plant incursion in 2016. His quick action and willingness to divert staff, encourage and support other councils and businesses to participate in the MPI-led response resulted in a comprehensive search. His further resolve to continue the work once MPI funding ran out meant we finished the job to rid Southland of the weeds. To date, there has not been a re-emergence.

He supported the staff through the 2020 February floods and led a significant reduction in operational expenditure to help accommodate the loss of marine fees. He has set up an integrated catchment approach to managing key environmental issues and continues to lead the staff through the trying times of Covid-19 lockdowns and working from home arrangements, all the while ensuring the Council’s critical services continue to be delivered.

Rob’s contribution and foresight mean the organisation is well-positioned to continue working with the community to improve Southland’s environment.

He retires from the Council in May 2022, but will continue with his governance roles, including as co-chair of the BioHeritage Challenge and as Environment Southland’s appointed representative on the board of Predator Free Rakiura.

On behalf of all the councillors, I would like to thank Rob for his tremendous contribution to the Council and Southland, and to wish him a very full and happy retirement.

ENDS