ECO - Environment and Conservation Organisations of Aotearoa New Zealand

The Waharau Outdoor Education Centre
Waharau Regional Park
(the eastern gateway into the Hunua Ranges)
Firth of Thames
Auckland

ECO Conference Programme

  ECO Conference Co-ordinator
  Email:conference registration
  Kate Lower - 021 137 5667
  Media - 021 891 994
ECO, PO Box 11-057, Wellington

Vanessa Atkinson

After finishing (finally!) her degree and honours thesis in environmental science with a marine biology major, she joined Greenpeace in 2000. Based in the Sydney office, Vanessa worked on the ocean’s campaign against over fishing of the critically endangered Southern Bluefin Tuna and on the anti-whaling campaign. After also working in Australia and New Zealand on the GE campaign and toxics issues she moved to New Zealand in 2003 to take up the Climate Campaigner position with Greenpeace in Auckland .

Since then she has worked to raise awareness of climate change, its impacts and the urgent need to tackle the world’s greatest threat. Her work has focused on pushing against increased coal-fired power generation while promoting wind energy and other renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and the need for a long-term sustainable energy strategy. Her time in New Zealand has also seen her continued involvement with the oceans campaign, this time for a moratorium on high seas bottom trawling. Vanessa worked on a month-long Greenpeace expedition to the North East Atlantic in 2004 to highlight and confront this destructive fishing practice. -back

Cindy Baxter has been writing either news stories or press releases almost daily since 1980. She is currently the campaign manager for Greenpeace NZ. Other jobs (in chronological order) have been: Christchurch Press (environment reporter), Press Secretary Geoffrey Palmer, Greenpeace International Communications Division (London '91-'96), freelance troublemaker (media, campaigns - London '96-- 2001), StopEsso campaign (London 2001-2004), before coming back to Greenpeace in Auckland. -back

Pete & Takutai Beech are the founders of the Guardians of The Sounds , an environmental watchdog group in the Marlborough Sounds.
The Guardians have campaigned on many issues, slowing fast ferries, stopping up to 90 logging trucks a day rumbling thru their town, stopping a 2 million ton coal dump being set up by the local Port company, ongoing issues with Bio security, commercial fishermen, mussel farm applications, salmon farms.
The Sounds have 90% of NZ's aquaculture farms, current issue is with scallop fishermen dredging the Sounds and causing wholesale habitat destruction.
Last year they organised a protest flotilla with one hundred vessels and placed Toll Holdings new ferry under citizens arrest.
Petes aim is to make himself redundant as an environmentalist. and be able to dedicate more time to his whanau and his Eco-tour business. -back

Classical Homoeopath, married 30 years, mother of five. Currently, the President of GE Free (NZ) in food and Environment. Passionate and active in the GE Field for 10 years and am working with Local bodies, government and grass roots to keep GE out of the commercial environment. most striking thing to date - A High Court appeal against ERMA -the AgResearch GE Human Cow field trial which was successfully upheld. -back

For the past decade Stephen Blyth has worked to support community and voluntary organisations to participate in civil society. In his current role Stephen is leading a project for the Ministry of Social Development developing practical information and resources for NGOs. In previous roles at the Department of Internal Affairs he promoted community group uptake of IT, and administered funding schemes. Stephen is past ECO chairperson, and was its Executive Officer from 1993-1996. Currently he is a Trustee for the 2020 Communications Trust, and on the core group of Heartbeat Wellington, a citizens group promoting an ecologically sustainable and people focused city. -back

Jeanette Fitzsimons

Jeanette Fitzsimons has had an interest in energy policy and practice for 30 years both personally and professionally, and worked as an Environmental Studies and Energy Planning lecturer at Auckland University until 1992. She has also worked as a consultant for local authorities, regional councils and government departments on waste management, packaging, climate change, hazardous activities and energy management.

Jeanette founded Campaign Climate for Change, 1989, and attended the 1992 Kyoto Conference.

In 1994 she built an "off grid" home in the Coromandel. Electricity is generated by solar panels and a wind generator feeding an array of batteries. These then run the lights, fridge, washing machine, stereo, computer, printer and fax machine. When at home she lives (very comfortably!) on 2 kWh/day.

Her first Members Bill in Parliament is now the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act that put EECA on a statutory basis, created a duty for the Minister to promote energy efficiency and conservation and legislated the power to set Minimum Energy Performance Standards. She has recently been appointed to the role of Government Spokesperson for Energy Efficiency and Conservation and is working with EECA to implement a solar water heating plan and is involved in the review of the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy.

Among her many other roles, Jeanette has been an ECO exec member, 1987, and is a Friend of ECO. -back

David Fleming

David is a lawyer at the National Distribution Union. He gained his grounding in activism and protest politics through groups and campaigns including the free education campaign of the early 1990s, the Auckland Unemployed Workers Rights Centre and others.

David's experience in organising and participating in demonstrations enables him to give a practical perspective on legal issues to be taken into account before, during and after protests and direct action. -back

Megan Fleming

Megan Fleming is an aspiring writer who lives in Wellington. She currently works in communications. While studying at uni, she worked as a part-time fundraiser for Greenpeace NZ. She has been involved with ECO since early this year, and is keen to continue editing ECOlink and helping out with fundraising strategies. -back

Grifen Hope

An ecoentrepreneur at heart, focused on the practical application of emerging knowledge in compelling examples, raising awareness, and fostering action in partnership. He says "This is an unprecedented time of opportunity for those of us who continue to lead the way. Our critical challenge in coming decades is to foster learning communities towards ecological literacy for the redesign of human systems". He describes sustainability as a way of having fun while redesigning the future.
Grifen is currently employed as the Manager of the Taranaki Environment Centre, widely regarded as an innovative leader in education for sustainable living, and increasingly perceived as the bioregional hub of a learning community in transition towards a prosperous and sustainable Taranaki 2020. -back

Maiki Marks is of Ngapuhi and Tainui descent. She is a facilitator with the Enviroschools Trust and the Ministry of Education, National Education for sustainability Team. Maiki works for Team Solutions, University of Auckland. She also facilitates Te Reo Maori to secondary and kura kaupapa schools.

Maiki is a practising kaitiaki with the Kororareka Marae Society Inc. and Chairs the Bay of Islands Coastal Watchdog Inc. Her time and energies are devoted to education for sustainability in schools in Northland, building tangata whenua capacity to practise kaitiakitanga within their rohe. Maiki is married with two daughters and three mokopuna. -back

Bill has 20 years experience as a civil engineering contractor mostly involved in bridge and wharf heavy foundations with some pipeline construction. More recently Bill spent 2 years observing the Raglan Waste Water Environment Court mandated mediation process and 5 years as an active member of the Whaingaroa Environment Centre (WEC).

He is a foundation steering committee member of KASM – Kiwis Against Seabed Mining with a principal role of political and legal research. He was the principal author of the KASM submission to the 2006 Minerals Program review under the Crown Minerals Act. He was recently admitted to the Masters program at Auckland University Law School specialising in Environmental Law. -back

Managed Thames Energy Futures Trust doing house energy retro-fits under EECA and Housing NZ contracts. Involved in Coromandel anti-mining issues since 1980 and again now. A Director of FoE, Friends of the Earth, NZ. 1985-93.
Involved with ECO, Environment & Conservation Organisations of NZ from1980s. Including on Executive Committee from 1998 - present. Since 2002 has represented ECO on Mangrove Steering Group.
Also represents ECO on various fisheries management issues; currently MFish -various stock assessment working and research groups; North Island Hectors dolphin working group & technical working group; aquaculture issues.
On Thames Coast Protection Society (Treasurer) and involved with Clean Water Whangamata.

Kathryn Paton (Kat) is an analyst with the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector (OCVS). The OCVS was established in 2003 to realise the Government's commitments to creating a genuine partnership with community, voluntary and Maori organisations. It also promotes the implementation of the Government Policy on Volunteering (2002).
The OCVS joined with the New Zealand Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations to produce “Keeping it Legal” E Ai Ki Te Ture, a legal risk management resource for community and voluntary organisations of all disciplines. During February and April, 38 presentations were undertaken nationwide to take this resource out into the communities.

Kat has an academic background in Law and Arts, and she is currently completing her Masters in Development Studies. Before joining the OCVS, she worked with the Department of Labour (DOL) as Ministerial Advisor, and as Legal Associate with the Appeal Authorities Secretariat.
Kat has also extensive community and voluntary experience in New Zealand with organisations such as NZ Breast Cancer Foundation, the Refugee & Migrant Service, Earth Charter Aotearoa New Zealand and the Auckland University Law Review Trust. She has also worked as a volunteer overseas in a refugee legal aid project in Egypt and an Ecology Centre in Mexico.
Kat is currently involved with the Wellington Sexual Abuse HELP Foundation and in the prevention of sexual abuse and support victims -back

Raewyn Peart

Raewyn Peart is a Senior Policy Analyst for the Environmental Defence Society. She holds bachelor degrees in social science, law and commerce and a masters degree in economics. Raewyn worked as a resource management lawyer in Auckland during the early 1990s before moving to South Africa where she worked in the environmental division of the CSIR. Since returing to Auckland in 2001, Raewyn has worked on a range of economic development and environmental policy issues and has published many articles and books on the RMA, landscape protection, coastal development and oceans policy. -back

Rhys Taylor

Rhys is an environmental educator and sustainability researcher who works with several local councils and Landcare Research on national projects, including Scenarios for Sustainability, the Sustainable Households Programme, and studies of behaviour change affecting the environment. He is also a voluntary Executive Member of Sustainable Otautahi Christchurch Inc (www.sustainablechristchurch.org.nz). He moved permanently from England in 1996 after three years as Director of Rural Action for the Environment. He has an MSc in Resource Management from Lincoln University in the UK. -back

The Save Happy Valley Campaign aims to build awareness about the proposed coal mine at Happy Valley and the environmental issues surrounding coal mining, and to actively oppose the mine and coal-fuelled energy generation. Originally formed in April last year, the group has since then used a variety of tactics including civil disobedience and symbolic actions to successfully gain media attention and aid in the building of public awareness about the mine.
The group is opposed to the mine for a variety of reasons, including climate change, acid mine drainage, the pollution of rivers and waterways, habitat destruction and the loss of biodiversity. -back

Pamela Storey is Executive Chairman of the Huntly Energy Efficiency Trust. She has 16 years experience in the Electrical Industry in both the United States and New Zealand.

Her experience has ranged from design development of Naval nuclear propulsion plants, managing large scale energy audits for military bases throughout the United States and more recently development of the strategic investment policy and project management for WEL Networks’ renewable and distributed generation involvements including landfill gas to energy and wind generation projects.

Pamela has a keen interest in energy efficiency and sustainability, with 4 years as Executive Chairman with the Huntly Energy Efficiency Trust, focusing on the installation of energy efficiency measures in low income housing and the health improvements and regional economic development that result from such initiatives.

Pamela also acts as a private consultant to the Energy Industry providing strategy development, commercial negotiation and project management in the areas of energy management, energy efficiency, distributed generation and renewable generation.

Pamela has a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from Washington State University. She is a Certified Energy Manager and a Certified Lighting Efficiency Professional through the Association of Energy Engineers in the USA. She is also a member of the New Zealand Energy Management Association and the Institute of Professional Engineers New Zealand.

Pamela has also been directly involved in the New Zealand dairy industry for the past ten years as a director of Taniwha Estates Ltd, a Waikato based dairy farming enterprise. -back

Cath is a senior lecturer in the School of Government at Victoria University of Wellington and specialises in economics and public policy especially in the environmental and natural resources fields. She is a member of the Australia New Zealand Society for Ecological Economics, has chaired ECO for too long and is a seasoned environmental campaigner. -back

Kathy Walsh has lived in Kaiaua for 11 years and campaigns to stop inappropiate development, raise environmental awareness and protection of the Seabird Coast and Tikapa Moana - the Firth of Thames. She is a member of the Marine Farm Action Committee that have been battling for 5 1/2 years to oppose the establishment of large scale aquaculture proposals of some 6,300 hectares of the Kaiaua Coastline. Kathy is a qualified Master mariner who has worked at sea in New Zealand and internationally in many different capacities. Kathy is currently a member of the Auckland Conservation Board and Papakura/Franklin COGS committee. -back

Barry is currently co-ordinating ECO's SeaNet Project which is producing a website and database to assist groups and individuals wishing to be involved in coastal and marine issues. Barry is also an ECO Executive Member and previously worked for Forest and Bird for 15 years -back

An ex teacher and journalist and National Coordinator of the Women’s Electoral Lobby, Dorothy spent 12 years as a Waitakere City Councillor, the last six as Deputy Mayor. During that time, she helped lead the formation of the eco-city direction, a sustainable development journey. She has considerable experience in resource management, the three waters, strategic and tactical thinking and community participation. After retiring from politics spent two years chairing a national taskforce looking to improve the relationship between the community voluntary sector and iwi/Maori organisations and central government. She also retrofitted her house with water and energy efficient measures, opening it to the public by request. She currently works as Mayor Dick Hubbard’s advisor in Auckland City. -back

ECO Annual Conference

2006 - Living Sustainably - Taking Charge of the Future

ECO Conference Programme

Coffee/tea/snacks

Vanessa Atkinson