About Me
I am passionate about the Bay of Plenty and I have a strong sense of social responsibility. I’m very family-oriented with a great husband, four wonderful children and nine gorgeous grandchildren.
I was born and educated in Wellington and have a geology degree from Victoria University, and post graduate diplomas in Librarianship and Information Systems.
After university, I worked for the Ministry of Forestry and then the Ministry of Works and Development where I was Secretary of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council and administered the National Water Authority. I then took time out to have children, before going back to university to get qualifications to develop a career as a Librarian. I worked for Ministry for the Environment in this capacity and then moved to Industrial Research Limited (a Crown Research Institute) to manage their Information Services.
In 1996, I moved to Tauranga to manage the Tauranga City Libraries and later became Group Manager: City Information for Tauranga City Council, responsible for information management and IT, customer services, libraries, visitor information and the museum. After eight years at Tauranga City, I moved on to be CEO of the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce, holding that position until I became a Regional Councillor for the Western Bay of Plenty constituency of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council in 2007. I have held the position of Deputy Chair for the past three terms. During my time in Council, I have been Director of the Regional Council's investment CCO, Quayside Holding for three terms. I stood down in 2018 as I had reached my maximum period on the Board. During that time, Quayside's investment asset value outside of the Port of Tauranga increased from $78million in 2008 to over $224million in 2018.
Previously I held positions as a Director of Grow Rotorua Limited, and as a member of the Chartered Professional Engineer's Council (a Crown Board). For six years I served as a member of the Policy Advisory Group for Local Government New Zealand.
My husband and I have a manufacturing, distribution and exporting company called International Merchants Limited. We are also very involved in working to support at-risk youth through the Bay of Plenty Youth Development Trust (BOPYDT) which we established in 2018. BOPYDT provides a range of values based fitness programmes for young people aged 9 to 21 with the vision of helping them become vibrant, independent and responsible youth, contributing to their communities. I am Secretary of the Trust and also focus on fundraising for our activities. Check out the work that the Bay of Plenty Youth Development Trust does at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWzidfaOUEc.
I have a strong community focus and try to contribute where I can. I’m a Rotarian, have served as a past Rotary President and Club Secretary, and am a Paul Harris fellow. I have served on a number of charitable organisations. I’m a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors (IoD) and served for a number of years on the organising Committee for the Bay of Plenty Branch of the IoD. In 2013, I was selected by the Institute of Directors as one of 30 women nationally to participate in their Mentoring for Diversity programme. This programme was established to provide mentoring to board-ready women who aspire to be appointed to the Board of an NZX or large unlisted company. Until 2021, I also served as a Trustee of the Acorn Foundation until I reached my maximum term on the Board.
My background in science, information management and general management - and my knowledge of business and central and local government - has provided me with a good background for my current role as a Regional Councillor. Because I have worked in all levels of government in management and governance roles, I understand how regional government works and what is needed for good governance. I am a qualified Commissioner and Chair for plan and resource consent hearings.
Over the past five terms I have represented the Western Bay of Plenty effectively around the Council table - going to bat for the issues that are important in the Western Bay. Significant achievements for me have been:
Gaining recognition of the importance and vulnerability of the Tauranga Harbour resulting in selected removal of and management of mangroves, significant additional funding for harbour restoration and research, and a focus on addressing sedimentation issues through an integrated catchment management approach.
As Chair of the Bay of Plenty Regional Transport Committee (BOPRTC), I led the development and successful funding of the Regional Land Transport Programme (including acceleration of the construction of the Tauranga Eastern Link), and the review of the Regional Land Transport Strategy and Regional Land Transport Programme. For the past six years I have served as Deputy Chair of the Regional Transport Committee and am an active member of our Public Transport Committee.
Good financial stewardship of Council's assets has provided a strong balance sheet and the ability to fund regional infrastructure.
Continued funding of regional economic development and support for Bay of Connections (the region's economic development strategy) - an activity where significant progress has been made for the benefit of the region. I supported the $40.5 million Bay of Plenty Regional Council funding of the Tauranga Tertiary Campus, Tauranga Marine Precinct, Scion Innovation Park in Rotorua, and Opotiki Harbour development. I also supported Regional Council funding for sewerage infrastructure for Ongare Point and Te Puna in the western Bay, and funding for road security works in the eastern Bay.
Council is delivering an integrated programme to address water quantity and quality across the region. I served as a member of the community Freshwater Futures advisory group for the Pongakawa/Waitahanui catchments.
Efficiency and effectiveness reviews are delivering cost reductions and better service delivery. This focus resulted in over a half a million dollars of operational savings initially which has been increased year on year.
Participation in the development of a number of policy and planning documents including the Regional Policy Statement, the Regional Coastal Environment Plan, the Onsite Effluent Treatment Plan, changes to the Water and Land Plan - including acting as a hearings commissioner in a number of instances.
Membership of the governance Leadership Group, for SmartGrowth, the fifty year growth strategy for the western Bay of Plenty. I am an advocate for this spatial planning approach to be extended to the rest of the Bay of Plenty.
Membership on Co-Governance entities for the Kaituna River , Tauranga Moana Harbour and Papamoa Cultural Heritage Park.
Significant expansion of the public transport network across the region, but specifically in Tauranga and the western Bay.
Initiating the Regional Council Declaration of a Climate Emergency in the Bay of Plenty and strong advocacy for action and leadership on climate change.
Strong advocacy and support for volunteer groups across the region - particularly those working in the Western Bay to protect and restore our threatened environment and ecosystems.
I support managed growth, contribution to key regional infrastructure, affordable rates and environmental and economic sustainability.
I want the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to be an efficient and effective organisation which works collaboratively to benefit the whole region. I want to make a difference in the community and I will work hard to do so. I believe that the Bay of Plenty is a wonderful place to live and I want it to continue to be a wonderful place for my children’s children – and their children.
I look forward to working hard to serve the people of the Bay of Plenty in the term ahead.