Water Executive

The Water Executive - a directorate of Environment Canterbury - manages the zone and regional implementation programmes on a day-to-day basis.

In particular its role is to

• provide professional support to the zone and regional committees;
• implement biodiversity protection and repair activities;
• liaise with tangata whenua in relation to kaitiakitanga responsibilities;
• liaise with irrigators on the management of surface and groundwater flows;
• work with water infrastructure developers to jointly develop resource consent applications;
• work with the agricultural sector to look at land-use practices and efficiencies;
• develop a charging regime; work with recreational users;
• and to broker new water consents and reviews/renewals of existing water consents.

David Horn – Director

David was previously National Consents and Environment Programme Manager for Solid Energy based at Rotowaro in the Waikato. Prior to 2005 he was the Chief Executive of the West Coast Regional Council.

Barbara Nicholas – Zone Facilitator

Barbara is a South Islander who ahs lived in both rural and urban communities. Much of her professional life has been in areas where science, policy and social values come together. Barbara has been a researcher and teacher in bioethics, and then moved into government work in health, controversial areas of biotechnology, and research and development policy.

Ian (Whit) Whitehouse – Zone Facilitator

Ian designed, managed and facilitated Stage 3 of the Canterbury Strategic Water Study and has worked with many multi-stakeholder groups on Canterbury water issues. For the past four years he has run his own company. Facilitation for the Future, helping organisations to improve their sustainability performance and reporting. Prior to this he held various senior management roles at Landcare Research, including Chief Operating Officer, with responsibility for 400 staff and $40m turnover.