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Michael Ahie - Independent Chair
Michael Ahie is Chancellor of Massey University, and Chair or a Director of several primary sector groups including Spring Sheep Milk Co, FMG and the New Zealand Plant Market Access Council. He draws on his experience growing up in a farming community in coastal South Taranaki and his previous executive roles with Toyota New Zealand Ltd, the New Zealand Dairy Board and Wrightson Ltd. Of Taranaki, Ngāruahine Rangi and Ngāti Ruanui descent, Michael lives in Wellington, New Zealand.
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Martin Workman – Ministry for the Environment | Manatū Mō Te Taiao Acting Deputy Secretary for Sustainable Land Use Delivery
Martin is responsible for leading the new Sustainable Land Use Delivery function. This will ensure delivery of policies such as the NPS Freshwater, He Waka Eke Noa and budget funding for freshwater restoration. Martin has over 20 years experience in environmental policy and delivery including time with Federated Farmers, Tasman District Council, Nelson City Council, and Ministry for Primary Industries. He had his first spell with MfE in 1997-99, and has been back with the Ministry since 2017. He led the freshwater policy reforms.
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Julie Collins - Deputy Director-General Policy and Trade at the Ministry for Primary Industries
Julie has a Bachelor of Forestry Science and more than 30 years’ experience in forestry and land use policy. Most recently she has worked on climate change, biosecurity, animal welfare and food safety policy and most recently established Te Uru Rakau/Forestry New Zealand, the new branded business unit within MPI.
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Vaughan Payne - Iwi Māori
Vaughan hails from the eastern Bay of Plenty tribes of Whakatohea (Mataatua) and Ngai Tai (Tainui), and has worked for and with tangata whenua across the motu throughout his career. Vaughan is Chief Executive Officer at Waikato Regional Council who have reduced their carbon emissions by 30% since 2017, have led the development of the Waikato Climate Action Plan, and co-manage the Waikato and Waipa rivers with Waikato River Iwi. He has helped lead the regional sector’s involvement in the government’s freshwater reforms and use of farm plans.
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Hilton Collier - Federation of Māori Authorities, Te Aukaha
Hilton Collier (Ngāti Porou) grew up on his ancestral lands near Ruatoria. Here was taught about Māori values and beliefs. This along with an Agricultural Science degree from Lincoln has equipped him for a Career predominantly in the Māori Agribusiness sector.
He leads his Iwi Farming business, Pakihiroa Farms Limited, and is a member of the Federation of Māori Authorities, Te Aukaha.
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Bruce Thorrold – DairyNZ
Bruce has been a strategy and investment leader for DairyNZ since March 2001. The strategy and investment team is responsible for investing the farmer levy. Before joining Dexcel (now DairyNZ), Bruce spent 15 years with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and AgResearch, where he worked in soil science and catchment management, including hill country and lowland studies.
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Cam Henderson - Federated Farmers of New Zealand
Cameron Henderson is a dairy farmer milking 750 cows near Oxford, North Canterbury. He bought and converted the farm in 2011 and has since expanded the operation to include a 200 ha leased support farm. Cameron has degrees in mechanical engineering and finance and has spent time working for Fonterra and DairyNZ. He is the current Provincial President of North Canterbury Federated Farmers and a 2019 Nuffield Scholar.
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Andrew Kempson - Agrifood Processor
Andrew is the GM of Global Climate Policy at Fonterra, and has been with the co-operative since 2010 in a variety of roles which have been predominantly with a sustainability focus. Over this time, Andrew has been heavily involved in the management and development of on-farm behaviour change programmes working to improve effluent, nutrient and land management; farm systems; animal welfare; capital and financial asset management and succession planning. As Fonterra’s Sustainable Dairying Change Manager, Andrew led the implementation of the Farm Environmental Planning service and farm specific greenhouse gas reporting that Fonterra provides to its suppliers as a service. Andrew has also contributed to the Biological Emissions Reference Group and was a member of the Agricultural reference groups established by the Interim Climate Change Committee and the Climate Change Commission.
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Dave Harrison - Beef + Lamb New Zealand
Dave joined Beef + Lamb New Zealand in 2007 and is currently the General Manager, Policy & Advocacy, in the B+LNZ Wellington office. Dave oversees B+LNZ’s national and regional policy work including key areas such as the environment, biosecurity, animal welfare, market access, and trade negotiations.
Dave returned from Brussels in 2016 after being B+LNZ’s Regional Manager Europe from 2010. As part of B+LNZ’s Market Access (now called Policy & Advocacy) team, he worked on a range of environmental, technical and trade policy issues affecting access for New Zealand sheepmeat and beef into Europe. Dave was also responsible for managing relationships with farmer and industry groups within Europe.
\Before joining B+LNZ, Dave worked as Office Solicitor/Policy Advisor at the Meat Industry Association; a Biosecurity Policy Advisor and then a Solicitor at what is now MPI; and as Private Secretary to Hon Jim Sutton for his Forestry and Biosecurity portfolios.
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Michelle Sands - Horticulture New Zealand
Michelle leads the Natural Resources and Environment team at Horticulture New Zealand. Her focus is to draw on my technical experience to provide policy advice that is informed by science. Michelle’s background is in hydrology and water quality.