Keynote Speakers

We are delighted to introduce this year's speakers. 

This page is being updated regularly. Please check back later for more information.

Campbell Barry, Mayor of Lower Hutt

Campbell Barry is in his second term as the mayor of Lower Hutt. He was first elected to the role in 2019, making history as New Zealand's youngest ever elected Mayor of a city at 28. Prior to this, he served two terms as a City Councillor, and worked in various other private and public sector roles. 

Mayor Barry is leading the Hutt City Council at a time of significant opportunity and challenge. He has a clear focus on investing in crucial infrastructure across the city, primarily looking at improving water networks, transport, and how we can leverage wider outcomes from infrastructure investment. 

Over the past year Mayor Barry has had the fortune of being part of the Bloomberg Harvard Leadership Initiative with pulls together 30 Mayors from around the world to look at how cities can learn from each other to thrive. As part of the programme Mayor Barry's priority has been how we can be innovative in the delivery of Riverlink Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi. 

As Chair of the Wellington Water Committee, Mayor Barry has been a leading voice on helping the Wellington region meet the challenges of water infrastructure. Through his convening powers, Mayor Barry has brough together leaders from across the region together to help build a joint response to the water crisis. 

Mayor Barry has extended his leadership to a national level, becoming the Vice President of Local Government New Zealand in 2023 and has since advocated for councils across the motu on a range of different issues.

Parliamentary Under-Secretary Simon Court

Simon Court MP is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister for Infrastructure and the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform. Simon also serves as the ACT Party Spokesperson for Climate Change and Energy & Resources and was first elected to Parliament as an ACT Party MP in 2020. Before politics, Simon worked as a Civil and Environmental Engineer with 23 years' experience in roles for the private sector and local government. This includes 10 years leading engineering, planning, tendering, and construction teams primarily in Auckland, Wellington, and Fiji.

Riki Ellison, Te Puna Chair 

Riki (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Te Āti Awa) has worked in environmental management roles for over 25 years across both sides of the Treaty partnership. He is currently the Chair of Te Puna - the Māori Advisory Rōpu at Taumata Arowai, and previously served a term on the Taumata Arowai Board. 

Riki is an adviser to the National Iwi Chairs Forum Pou Taiao and Freshwater Iwi Leaders Groups, the independent adviser to the Tangata Whenua Representatives on the Hawkes Bay Regional Planning Committee and a member of the Our Lakes Our Future Project Team. Riki has held a number of senior executive management roles with iwi, central and local government and the private sector. This includes roles with Ngāi Tahu, Te Puni Kōkiri, Ministry for the Environment, Aquaculture New Zealand Greater Wellington Regional Council, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Riki was a member of the Kāhui Wai Māori Ministerial Advisory Group, and a member of the Lakes 380 project team. 

Riki is also a Trustee of Poutama Trust and has previously been a Board member on the Ngāi Tahu Development Corporation. He has an LLB from Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka - the University of Otago and is a fellow if the First Nations Futures Institute at Stanford University. 

Hon. Simon Watts, Minister for Energy, Minister of Local Government and Minister of Revenue

Simon Watts was elected as the Member of Parliament for North Shore in the 2020 election. He is the Minister of Climate Change, Minister for Energy, Minister of Local Government and Minister of Revenue.

Simon grew up in the Waikato, where is family were farmers and orchardists. He is married, has two sons, and lives on the North Shore with his family. 

He studied accounting and Finance at Waikato University and worked in investment banking in Asia, Europe and the United Kingdom. He has worked for one of the world's largest investment banks, the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), where he held several management roles during and in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis. 

Simon has also completed a Health Sciences degree at Auckland University of Technology. He continues to volunteer with St John as an ambulance officer and is a registered Paramedic alongside his duties as a Member of Parliament. 

Rodney Wong BSc DistFInstD FNZIFST

Who said collaborating in Public Projects was easy?
Rodney is a 3rd generation New Zealand-born Seeyip Cantonese Chinese. He brings over forty years' experience across a variety of private and public business sectors. With an initial background in food production technology, he has held CEO roles (including NZ managing director of FMCG brands e.g. Yoplait, Birdseye, Edgell & Leggos). More recently he has held numerous professional board roles as Director & Chairman of many diverse organisations e.g. High Value Engineering, Iwi Investments, Airports and Social Service Agencies. He is a former Chair of Crop and Food Research and led the merger to form Plant & Food Research before becoming their Deputy Chair. He has been awarded Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Directors and a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology. He received the Palmerston North City Civic Award, its highest recognition for voluntary service to the community, for leading projects such as co-founding the Wildbase Recovery Centre & establishing a foundation to build the new Palmerston North Hospital Children's Emergency Department.

Panel Discussion

Campbell Barry, Mayor of Lower Hutt

See bio above.

Bill Bayfield

Riki Ellison, Te Puna Chair 

See bio above.

Hon. Simon Watts, Minister for Energy, Minister of Local Government and Minister of Revenue

See bio above.

Breakout Presenters

Sam Elton-Walters, Kaleb Batenburg-Jones, Gaylene Silvester & Christian Shouler, CoLab

Evolving Trade Waste in a Changing World 

Biographies
Sam is a Trade Waste Technical Support Officer at Co-Lab Water Services. He has been with the team for 1 year, contributing by supporting the Trade Waste officers and Trade Waste customers, reviewing, and processing applications, entering self-monitoring reports and carrying out low risk audits. Sam is passionate about podcasting and growing giant pumpkins and is committed to building his skillset within Trade Waste.

Kaleb is a Trade Waste Officer at Co-Lab Water Services. He has been with the team for 6 months, contributing by looking after the trade waste customers in South Waikato, Taupo, and Hamilton City. Kaleb is passionate about science, particularly chemistry, and is keen to learn everything he can about trade waste and its impact on the wider wastewater network.

Gaylene is a Trade Waste technical support Officer at Co-Lab Water Services. She has been with the team for 9 months, contributing by supporting the Trade Waste officers' and Trade Waste customers, reviewing, and processing applications, entering self-monitoring reports and carrying out low risk audits. Gaylene is passionate about performance whether that be on the stage or in health and fitness and is committed to learning and developing her knowledge within the Trade Waste Industry.

Christian is a Trade Waste Officer at Co-Lab Water Services. He has been with the team for 4 years, contributing by conducting audits and investigations in Matamata Piako District and Hamilton City, writing consents, and improving processes. Christian is passionate about the environment and is committed to improving his trade waste knowledge and team processes.

Abstract
Trade waste management in the Waikato has undergone significant transformations over the past few decades, evolving from basic information gathering to using digital systems and collaborative approaches. This presentation explores the journey through the eyes of the Trade Waste team at Co-Lab Water services starting with the history of Trade Waste in the Waikato. The focus then shifts to Co-Lab's journey, detailing the evolution of our team from a small group to a cohesive unit equipped with tools and skills to help manage 7 councils. We emphasize the importance of collaboration and capability building, showcasing initiatives and innovations that have set our team apart. Looking ahead, we address current challenges and opportunities in trade waste management, including data standardization, industrial growth, and environmental pressures. We explore the use of cloud-based systems, remote monitoring and other technology. In conclusion, trade waste management isn’t just about pipes and infrastructure; it is also about people, processes, and progress. We invite the audience to reflect on their role in shaping the next chapter of trade waste management.

Alexander Eremin, Babbage Consultants

From Compliance to Optimisation: Lessons from real world dairy wastewater treatment systems

Biography
I am an Environmental Scientist at Babbage Consultants Limited, based in Christchurch, New Zealand. I specialize in wastewater analysis, environmental compliance, and hydrological and coastal hazard assessments. My work includes effluent sampling and testing, DAF plant performance evaluation, soil health monitoring, nutrient management, and support for regulatory consent compliance. I have experience in GIS mapping, Power BI data management and dashboard creation, and technical report writing. I am also involved in groundwater quality assessments, ecological effects evaluations, contaminated land investigations, and freshwater ecosystem monitoring. I am passionate about applying multidisciplinary, data-driven approaches to optimise environmental outcomes and support sustainable land and water management practices.

Abstract
This paper examines how a multidisciplinary and holistic approach to compliance monitoring and environmental performance can identify operational inefficiencies and system design limitations in wastewater treatment, improving long-term viability. The dairy industry is vital to the country’s economy but generates significant volumes of high-strength wastewater that must be effectively treated to meet environmental and regulatory expectations. Drawing on anonymized case studies from facilities using Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) systems for solids separation, it highlights how automation faults, mechanical failures, and inconsistent chemical dosing contribute to downstream issues such as blocked irrigation systems, non-compliant discharge, increased soil pH, and excessive chemical use. In many cases, these failures were linked to legacy infrastructure, poorly calibrated automation, and a lack of system-level monitoring. A multidisciplinary approach—combining process engineering, automation specialists, and environmental expertise—was used to identify root causes and implement targeted solutions. Interventions included mechanical and control logic improvements, dosing strategy adjustments, and installation of monitoring equipment with real-time dashboards. These changes enabled daily operational oversight, improved chemical efficiency, and restored environmental compliance. The findings highlight a broader issue: compliance is often approached as a chemical balancing act rather than a system-wide engineering and planning challenge. Short-term, low-cost fixes may restore compliance temporarily but often mask underlying process issues and introduce future risk. This presentation argues for a shift in decision-making: away from reactive, quick fixes and toward proactive system optimization—particularly at the design and upgrade stages. Addressing root causes early supports operational stability, cost-effectiveness, and future-ready infrastructure capable of adapting to evolving regulatory and environmental expectations.

Poster Presenters

Alexander Eremin, Babbage Consultants

Integrated Environmental Monitoring: Linking Wastewater Discharge, Soil Health, and Groundwater Quality using a Power BI Dashboard

Biography
I am an Environmental Scientist at Babbage Consultants Limited, based in Christchurch, New Zealand. I specialize in wastewater analysis, environmental compliance, and hydrological and coastal hazard assessments. My work includes effluent sampling and testing, DAF plant performance evaluation, soil health monitoring, nutrient management, and support for regulatory consent compliance. I have experience in GIS mapping, Power BI data management and dashboard creation, and technical report writing. I am also involved in groundwater quality assessments, ecological effects evaluations, contaminated land investigations, and freshwater ecosystem monitoring. I am passionate about applying multidisciplinary, data-driven approaches to optimise environmental outcomes and support sustainable land and water management practices.

Abstract
This poster presents the development of a customised Power BI dashboard designed to integrate and visualise environmental monitoring data across wastewater discharge, soil health, and groundwater quality for a major dairy processing site. The dashboard provides a comprehensive representation of how treated factory effluent—characterised by nutrient loads, SAR levels, and chemical parameters—affects receiving soils over time and how these soil changes subsequently influence groundwater quality. The system enables real-time tracking and historical analysis, helping stakeholders understand the direct links between wastewater management decisions, impacts of discharge, and compliance with resource consent conditions. By consolidating multiple datasets into a single platform, the dashboard offers intuitive, interactive tools for identifying trends, assessing potential risk, and supporting proactive decision-making. It also enhances transparency by providing a clear visual link between operational outputs and consent conditions, bridging the gap between factory processes, land management, and environmental outcomes. The poster highlights the methodology behind the system’s development, including soil and groundwater sampling design, key metrics used for monitoring, and dashboard functionality. It also discusses the benefits and limitations of using dynamic visualisation tools in regulatory compliance frameworks and environmental risk management. This integrated approach offers a model for sustainable resource management, demonstrating how modern data analytics can strengthen environmental outcomes, optimise compliance strategies, and support informed dialogue with regulators and landowners.