Steven Sutton (Chair)
Steven, the chair of the Waiau Habitat Trust, is the Deputy Chief Executive at Te Puni Kōkiri | Ministry of Māori Development. Steven brings a wealth of govoernance experience from his background in corporate law and central government.
Glenys Dickson
Glenys is a retired farmer with experience in Central and local Government which gives her strong skills in policies and legislation, particularly Resource Management where she is a certified RMA commissioner.
She has a background in accounting practises and has owned a successful business.
She has sound experience in Governance being the Chair of Southern REAP a director of REAP Aotearoa, Director of Gore Health, Chair of Forest Hill Foundation Trust, a trustee of Mid Dome Wilding Pine Trust and presently a Gore District Councillor.
Glenys was a past member and Chair of the Southland Conservation Board and has a keen interest in Conservation and the environment.
Having a residence in Te Anau gives Glenys the opportunities to enjoy and experience outdoor recreation, with particular interests in water quality and predator control.
Making a positive change to protect and enhance the environment for future generations to enjoy is her motivation.
Glenys is a nominee of the Department of Conservation.
John Whitehead
John is a retired farmer. He is experienced in negotiating environmental outcomes and consensus building, and has a sound understanding of governance issues and conservation laws and policies. His lifelong interest is in natural history and conservation, in particular, high-country issues, rivers, and indigenous fisheries management and Predator Free 2050.
John is Chair of the Pomona Island Charitable Trust (an Island restoration project), a trustee on the Waiau Fisheries & Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Trust, a trustee on the Mid Dome Wilding Pine Trust, and a member of the Whenua Hou Management Committee. His outdoor recreation interests are tramping and predator control.
John is a nominee of the Department of Conservation.
Andrew Feierabend
Andrew is a qualified resource management planner and has held a number of different roles within local government before joining Meridian Energy Limited in 2010. Andrew brings a wealth of management experience to the Trust as well as his understanding of resource management and plan making processes.
Andrew enjoys his connection to Southland which has become a second home via his statutory advocacy and stakeholder role he holds with Meridian. He has a keen interest in the natural environment and enjoys tramping, mountain biking and fishing when his spare time allows.
Andrew is the Statutory and Compliance Strategy Manager, Meridian Energy, nominee of Meridian Energy Ltd.
Graeme Watson
Graeme is involved with farming, fly fishing guiding tourism and is a Trustee of the Whakatipu Wilding Conifer Trust. He is a former Chairman of Southland Fish & Game and was the Southland representative of the QEII National Trust for 8 years.
Graeme is a nominee of Fish and Game New Zealand, Southland Region.
Mike O’Brien
Mike O’Brien is a farmer from Monowai. He is a strong advocate for farmers in the Waiau Valley and believes farming and conservation can be complementary to each other .He strongly supports the Waiau Trust’s approach of working alongside farmers to achieve both positive environmental and farming outcomes.
Mike has been involved in both local and national governance rolls and has a background in farm consultancy. He is a keen supporter of the local community and enjoys the benefits of living a great part of New Zealand.
Mike is a joint nominee of the Fish and Game New Zealand Southland Region and the Department of Conservation representing the rural community in the Waiau Catchment.
Nathan Cruickshank
Nathan joined the Trust in 2024. Nathan is a farmer who worked in the land sustainability space for Environment Southland for many years. Nathan has extensive experience working with farmers to improve the environmental outcomes of their farming practises.
Johnathan Hodson
Johnathan is a surveyer based in the Te Anau area, and manager of the Te Anau office of Bonisch Consultants Ltd.
