Meet your southern Environment Canterbury team
We deliver work through an on-the-ground team made up of Environment Canterbury staff. Our staff provide localised assistance and advice regarding biodiversity, land management, consents and compliance.
Our southern team covers the areas from Rakaia to Waitaki and their river catchments including Ashburton, Methven, Temuka, Timaru, Waimate, Fairlie, Twizel, Omarama and Kurow.
Zone delivery teams
Zone delivery teams, like land management and biodiversity advisors and special projects advisors, are available to provide guidance and assistance in various areas, including:
- farming,
- land use,
- biodiversity projects,
- securing funding and fostering connections with other stakeholders.
We also have a zone delivery team for the northern and central zones.
Meet the southern zone delivery team
Lauren Hamilton – Zone manager
Nikki Jenkins - Zone Delivery Lead - Ashburton
Nikki grew up in Southland and has lived in various regions around New Zealand. Nikki has held various roles over the years, including Dairy Farming, Environmental Consulting and Environmental Compliance.
Nikki enjoys working together with a variety of stakeholders to implement good land management practices.
Michelle Ingham, Land Management and Biodiversity Advisor - Ashburton
Donna Field - Land Management and Biodiversity Advisor - Ashburton
Donna was one of the first members of the Ashburton water zone committee and eventually became its chair.
She and her husband own a sheep and beef farm in the Rakaia Gorge and Donna enjoys seeing farming being done in conjunction with enhancing ecological values.
Donna works with the community, industry and landowners on implementing good land management practice and biodiversity.
Michelle Ingham - Land Management and Biodiversity Advisor - Ashburton
Michelle comes from a dairy farming background in Canterbury and has a bachelor's degree in Biology and Environmental Sciences from Canterbury University. Get in touch to get help with protecting and enhancing biodiversity and implementing good land management practices.
Jess Cochrane - Land Management and Biodiversity Advisor - Ashburton
Jess has been farming on their family farm in South Canterbury for the past ten years and has now joined the Ashburton Zone delivery team as a land management and biodiversity adviser.
They are available to work with people and groups to implement good management practices and assist in how to be compliant under new regulations.
Jess is passionate about working with people to achieve the best environmental and biodiversity outcomes possible.
Amy McIlraith - River / Awa and Biodiversity Advisor - Ashburton
Amy grew up in North Canterbury and is now based in the Ashburton district. Amy has a science background, as well as experience in monitoring and compliance.
She joined us in 2019 as a compliance officer, and now works a dual role sharing her time between the Rivers section and Zone delivery.
Amy focuses on river and waterway management, with an emphasis on biodiversity to improve outcomes for our awa and community. She is also involved in the flood recovery space in a support role.
Contact Amy if you have any questions about biodiversity, the flood protection and drainage bylaw, or freshwater management.
Gina Slee - Zone Delivery Lead - OTOP
Gina oversees the great mahi carried out by the team within the Ōrāri Temuka Ōpihi Pareora (OTOP) zone. Contact Gina if you have any queries regarding the zone team’s work or projects across the zone.
Nicola Reddecliffe - Land Management and Biodiversity officer - OTOP
Helen Risk - Senior Land Management and Biodiversity Advisor - OTOP - Twizel - on parental leave
Helen supports for Farm Environment Plans and Good Management Practice Advice. Helen can help with advice on Regional Plan rules, funding requests and advice for Biodiversity projects. Helen works part time (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday).
Rosemary Clucas - Senior Biodiversity and Land Management Advisor - OTOP
Peter Burt - Zone Delivery Lead - Upper Waitaki and Lower Waitaki
Peter oversees the great mahi carried out by the team within the Upper Waitaki and Lower Waitaki zones. Contact Peter if you have any queries regarding the zone team’s work or projects across the zone.
Kennedy Lange - Senior Biodiversity Advisor - Lower Waitaki
Kennedy supports landowners, community groups and agencies in protecting biodiversity and improving land management practices. He has specialist experience in weed control, sediment management and critical source mapping.
Jenna Hughes-Games - Land Management Advisor
bio to come.
Resource management and incident response
Our resource management staff work within local zone delivery and regional teams to provide advice, monitor and respond to resource management enquiries and issues. Find out more about resource management and incident response.
Terry Hewitt - Senior Resource Management Officer - Ashburton
Terry moved from the Waikato to the Ashburton District in 1995 with wife Wendy, two daughters and 600 cows. He farmed and then spent 10 years in aviation before joining Environment Canterbury.
Terry works out of the Ashburton Office in CME operations as a rural/farming specialist with the farming community and large irrigation schemes.
He can help people with understanding the regulatory processes, rules and regulations, and problem-solving.
Isabelle Lourenco de Almeida - Resource Management Officer - Ashburton
Isabelle has studied Agricultural Engineering in Brazil and worked in scientific research of plant propagation (Brazil), horticulture (USA), and the dairy industry (New Zealand). Isabelle moved to New Zealand in 2017 and has lived in Ashburton since 2018. She is currently studying at Lincoln University – Post Graduate in Environmental Management.
Isabelle is passionate about protecting the environment and helping the community. She can provide advice related to environmental improvements, provide information, and education. Isabelle also monitors the MHV water irrigation scheme.
Lisa Ree - Resource Management Officer Compliance Monitoring - Incident Response - Ashburton
Lisa is originally from Central Otago and moved to the Canterbury area a few years ago. She has previous experience working at the Hurunui and Waimakariri District Councils over the past years, covering a wide range of roles within both councils.
Lisa is looking after Affordable Waters and compliance for the Ashburton area and is a very approachable person to contact if you require any assistance.
Mark Leith - Resource Management Officer Incident Response - Ashburton
Mark grew up on a Southland sheep and beef farm near Edendale and joined the dairy industry as a candidate at the Southland Dairy Coop, as well as studied Dairy Technology at Massey University.
After many years working in manufacturing and operations with Fonterra, he recently joined Environment Canterbury and is working within the industrial Portfolio across the Ashburton zone.
Mark is happy to support anyone with any questions relating to complex manufacturing processes.
Hannah Westoby - Resource Management Officer - OTOP
Hannah looks after anything industrial and specialise in air odour dust discharges and river works. Hannah has a background in compliance monitoring/auditing.
Julia Hullen - Resource Management Officer - OTOP
Julia has a background in Biosecurity, she is one of the officers who looks after the stormwater and wastewater consents in the Ōrāri Temuka Ōpihi Pareora (OTOP) zone.
Shannon Trower - Resource Management Officer – Incident Response - OTOP
Blair Poulter - Resource Management Officer - OTOP
Katrina Te Rito - Resource Management Officer - Upper Waitaki - Twizel
Katrina works across various topics in the Upper Waitaki zone, including industry, rural, and water. Katrina attends incidents if required.
Scott MacMillan, Resource Management Officer - Upper Waitaki - Twizel
Jess Hishon-Knowles, Senior Land Management and Biodiversity Advisor - Upper Waitaki - Twizel
Anna Mehrtens – Land Management and Biodiversity Advisor - Lower Waitaki
Adam Thomas - Resource Management Officer
Michael Nolan - Senior Resource Management Officer - Incident Response
Michael is happy to help you with all things compliance – from rules and legislation to site visits and health and safety.
Water zone committee facilitation
Our water zone committee facilitators support the region's water zone committees to develop actions and tactics to deliver on the Canterbury Water Management Strategy targets. Read more about the water zone committees and what they do.
Dave Moore - Zone Facilitator (OTOP and Lower Waitaki South Coastal)
Jaimee Grant (Ashburton)
Murray Griffin (Upper Waitaki)
Local projects and priorities
We work with landowners, community, groups and other organisations to undertake a number of actions in the zone which support the protection and enhancement of biodiversity, water quality, mahinga kai and more.
- See Ōrāri Temuka Ōpihi Pareora's local projects and priorities
- See Upper Waitaki's local projects and priorities
- See Lower Waitaki South Coastal Canterbury's local projects and priorities
- See Ashburton's local projects and priorities.
- Media - Media enquiries and communications media@ecan.govt.nz 027 221 5259
Report an environmental incident
If you see dirt, sediment or chemicals leaving building sites and going onto footpaths or roads, report it using the Snap, Send, Solve app or phone us on 0800 765 588 (24/7).