Our People

All our staff have extensive experience working in and as consultants to central and regional government, and in working with the private sector on resource management issues.

Simon Harris

Simon contributes expertise in economics, policy and primary sector management. He has undertaken work across a wide range of sectors, and has particular skills in the integration of economics into collaborative decision making and decision making under uncertainty.

Caroline Fraser

Caroline has a background in water engineering and hydrology.  She has expertise in the development and implementation of numerical and statistical models, from small scale physical models through to national scale conceptual models, including uncertainty analysis.  Caroline also has interests in collaborative modelling and science communication.

Ton Snelder

Ton’s skills include expertise in hazards and resource management, policy, water quality and quantity management hydrology, ecology, and spatial analysis. Ton has contributed widely to research in the fields of water resources management, hydrology, water quality, freshwater ecology and environmental classification systems.

Ned Norton

Ned organises, translates and communicates science information for problem solving generally, and for water policy development particularly. This includes harnessing the best from multidisciplinary teams, integrating biophysical, social, cultural and economic information, water quantity and quality modelling, operating collaborative processes and handling knowledge uncertainty. Ned is a certified commissioner under the Making Good Decisions Programme.

Brydon Hughes

Brydon has expertise in groundwater resource investigations, hydrogeological and hydrological analysis, assessment and management of groundwater/surface water interaction and land use impacts on groundwater quality. Brydon also has significant experience with Regional Plan development and provision of hydrogeological input to a range of resource consent, Environment Court and Board of Enquiry processes.

Oliver Floerl

Oli is a marine ecologist with extensive experience in biosecurity management, biofouling control, and coastal ecology. Oli works with government and science agencies, and the maritime industry (shipping, boating, aquaculture) on the development of practical and policy tools for environmentally sustainable practices, managing the spread of invasive species, and eco-engineering approaches for enhancing coastal ecological values.

Jeph Mathis

Jeph has has a background in ecology, conservation biology, medicine and resource management. Jeph has worked in South America, Asia and Africa in dynamic and complex contexts, finding ways forward where human values, environmental realities, cultural aspirations and political objectives intersect.  After recently returning to New Zealand, Jeph specialises in applying process skills and complexity thinking to resource management, environmental health and development projects.

Katie Dey

Katie has a background in applying mathematics and statistics to environmental analysis.  She has expertise in the development and implementation of numerical and statistical models, and statistical analysis and visualisation of environmental data.