Executive Members

Name: Alice McNatty

Organisation: Hawke’s Bay Regional Council

Job Title: Senior Biosecurity Advisor

Time in the job: 10 years

What motivates you to be involved in biosecurity?

I have the opportunity to make a real difference, conserving and improving our natural environments. Being involved in such broad and varied work with fantastic people is motivating for me.

What has been your career path to your current position?

Since a very young age, I have had a passion and great interest in the environment and natural world.

I completed a Bachelor of Science majoring in Ecology and Marine Biology at Victoria University, and then went on to complete a Master of Science majoring in Ecology. My thesis for my Masters degree assessed the effects of the invasive Yellow crazy ant on the native terrestrial hermit crabs of Tokelau.

After completing my degrees, I worked for the Department of Conservation in Wellington and Tasman District Council. I then moved back to my home region of Hawke’s Bay to work for the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.

What makes up a normal day for you?

I have three main parts to my job: managing the Council’s marine biosecurity programme, advising on pest plants and working with the Ecosystem Prioritisation programme to protect forest remnants in our region.

My work is extremely varied and also changes significantly throughout the year. I may be working in the Inner Harbour carrying out inspections of vessels checking for marine pests, out on a farm carrying out surveillance for pest plants, or in a native forest remnant assessing how we can best protect it from the impacts of invasive species.

I have also thoroughly enjoyed working on national responses – the Velvetleaf response in Southland, and the Myrtle Rust response in Taranaki and Bay of Plenty – biosecurity responses like these emphasise to me the importance of having a network of people across the country which are ready and capable to respond immediately.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

The variation within my job, working outdoors and being part of an enthusiastic and broad network of people throughout New Zealand.

Organisation: Greater Wellington Regional Council
Job title: Biodiversity Monitoring Advisor
Time in job: 7 years.

What motivates you to be involved in biosecurity?

Protecting New Zealand’s biosecurity ensures that our wonderful biodiversity, and our environmental life support system, is protected now and for future generations.

What has been your career path to your current position?

I have always been fascinated with the natural environment and spent many hours watching my hero, David Attenborough, as a child. Biology was my favourite subject all through high school. I studied for my BSc at Massey University, moving there from Auckland and graduating with a double major in zoology and ecology. I then undertook my Masters and conducted my thesis at Zealandia (Karori Wildlife Sanctuary) studying the release of six captive-reared kaka. It was an amazing experience to follow these birds as they found their feet and started to breed; they are incredibly intelligent and I got to know each one individually. I was then lucky enough to get a job at Greater Wellington, first in the monitoring team for Biosecurity and now as a Biodiversity Monitoring Advisor.

What makes up a normal day for you?

My job is incredibly varied, I may be out in the field, at my desk crunching data, designing a new project, making GIS maps or writing a report. I could be in one of many technical group meetings or in the workroom counting invertebrates. My job changes season by season and year to year, it’s never the same and I am never bored.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

The variety of the work I get to do, the challenges of developing new projects and visiting many beautiful and remote parts of the region. I get to do natural science for real and what other job is there that you can get paid to go sit under a tree and watch birds all morning? The fantastic and dedicated people I work with are also an important bonus.

Name: Duncan MacMorran

Organisation: Connovation Ltd

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Name: Diane Fraser

Organisation: UNITEC

Job Title: Senior Lecturer

Time in the job: 23 years

What motivates you to be involved in biosecurity?

Despite being Scottish by birth, I moved to New Zealand over thirty years ago and fell in love with this incredible country. Having a background in agriculture and a passion for New Zealand’s unique and beautiful environment, it seems only nature to want to protect the physical and social fabric of this land from the impact of invasive pests and diseases.

What has been your career path to your current position?

I studied an Honours degree, Bachelor of Science, specialising in Animal Science at Aberdeen University in the cold north of Scotland. After completion of a research Summer Studentship in piglet nutrition at the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen I undertook and completed a PhD in protein nutrition of lactating dairy cows at the institute. I was then extremely lucky to be offered a two year Post-doctoral fellowship in the Animal Science Department at Lincoln University. The project included field studies of the protein requirement of lambs consuming pasture. After the completion of the fellowship and having got married, I moved to Rotorua and worked at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic implementing a certificate programme in Applied Animal Technology. In 1993 I moved, with my husband, to Molokai in Hawaii where he was Operations Director for Molokai Ranch and I ran the private Wildlife Park. In 1996 we moved back to New Zealand the following year I was employed by Unitec to write NZQA approved programme documents. Since then I have had a range of positions including teaching in animal husbandry, breeding and nutrition, captive wild animal husbandry and environmental risk and biosecurity, academic leader of programmes such as the Diploma in Veterinary Nursing and the Bachelor of Applied Technology. In addition, I am active in applied research in the biosecurity and conservation fields. I have been very lucky to be encourages by Mel Galbraith, Unitec, to study a Post Graduate Diploma in Biosecurity and Conservation at Auckland University with Drs Margaret Stanley and Imogen Bassett. This allowed me to expand my knowledge into the biosecurity field, which has definitely become my passion. Being employed by Unitec has had its ups and downs but my position within the organisation has continuously evolved creating ongoing challenges.

What makes up a normal day for you?

As I only work part-time, there is a lot to squeeze into my three days a week. My schedule may include teaching students in either our on-site degree programme or our zoo keeping students who study in a system of blended learning. With Covid-19, there has been significant pressure to move all teaching, including block course to on-line learning. Although this has meant a lot of work it has provided opportunities for development personally and potential programme opportunities. Research is a significant part of my workload, particularly the development of industry/student research projects. These provide students to study real life problems and, hopefully, find some answers to industry questions. I am very grateful for the support that has been given to my students by industry and NZBI.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I love the applied nature of the learning in our programmes, particularly in collaboration with industry, whether this be field trips or student research projects. Our aim is produce job-ready students with a range of skills, which I hope we achieve. My grandfather was a school principle, so I guess I have inherited his passion for learning and the education of others. There is nothing better than watching a young person find their passion and blossom both within their study/career pathway as well as personally.

Name: Darion Embling

Organisation: Waikato Regional Council

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Organisation: Northland Regional Council
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Name: Heidi Pene

Organisation: Contractor to Waikato Regional Council

Job Title: Pest Plant Officer

Time in the job: 19 1/2 years

What motivates you to be involved in biosecurity?

I have a passion for New Zealand’s unique indigenous flora and fauna and our beautiful landscape and want to be a part of protecting it. I also feel an obligation to do my bit for the health of our primary industry which is crucial to the NZ economy, but constantly under threat from pests and diseases. Hearing the amazing stories of biosecurity champions inspires me to fight the good fight against these pests!

What has been your career path to your current position?

Coming from a timber town (Tokoroa) I began my tertiary study doing a Bsc Tech - forestry specified programme. This 4 yr degree involves two work placements. My second 3 month placement was with the indigenous species department at Scion, which lead to a continued part-time position while I still studied. I was researching windfall data in the amazing Whirinaki Podocarp forest and this is where I fell in love with our great outdoors.

I was offered sponsorship from Waikato Regional Council to do a master’s thesis to study the threat of pampas grass to the Waikato Region. It was here that I met my current employer (Chris Hale). I work out of a small office with a fantastic team of 3 other staff based in Cambridge. We are a small part of the bigger and just as fantastic biosecurity team at council. I love my job and haven’t wanted to leave since.

What makes up a normal day for you?

I love the variation in this job. There is hardly a ‘normal day’! I could be walking bush tracks one day and farm blocks the next, or surveying a river by boat, forest by helicopter, rail by truck or paddock on horseback! I inspect nurseries, ID plants, follow up complaints and enquiries, give talks and presentations, work at fieldays and liaise with community groups and stakeholders as well as organising control of our eradication pest plants. There is a less enjoyable enforcement component of the job, but it’s part of what makes up our exclusive skill-set as pest plant officers.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I love the field component of the job and the range of people we get to talk to. I love to make people feel that they are getting good value for their rates and to leave them enthusiastic about doing their bit to protect our precious landscape.

Organisation: Greater Wellington Regional Council
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Name: Jono Underwood

Organisation: Marlborough District Council

Job Title: Biosecurity Manager

Time in the job: 10 years

What motivates you to be involved in biosecurity?

The challenge in understanding the complex nature of invasive species mangement then designing ways to prevent, slow or manage the impacts.

What has been your career path to your current position?

After tertirary studies at Lincoln University majoring in science/ecology, and work in the environmental consultancy field in Australia, settled in Marlborough and began the process of learning the intricacies of the post-border biosecurity system in New Zealand. This also meant figuring out the unique challenges, both within and threatening Marlborough. Began life at MDC focussed on rabbit mangement given the issues at the time, then progressed into the supervisory/manager position.

What makes up a normal day for you?

Liken it to 90% people and 10% pests! Most days are working with staff, external stakeholders, the community to figure out the best and most effective way to approach any particular issue. This includes for our small Council, developing the frameworks and policy to guide it all topped off with guiding operational delivery.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

The constant variety that working with invasive species throws up. From marine pests, invasive grasses, wilding conifers, invertebrates, and even lizards. They all have similarities as invasive species but certainly helps broaden your thinking!

Organisation: Coordinator - NZ Wilding Conifer Group Inc.

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Name: Alfredo Paz

Organisation: Environment Southland (Southland Regional Council)

Job Title: Senior Biosecurity Officer (Pest Animals)

Time in the job: 9 years

What motivates you to be involved in biosecurity?

To preserve and enhance NZ’s unique biodiversity as well as work alongside with motivated and inspirational people towards a common goal.

What has been your career path to your current position?

I’ve came to NZ on a 3 month adventure and rapidly fell in love with NZ lifestyle, scenery and freedom. I then decided to extend my stay and was lucky enough to been given the opportunity to work as an animal pest control operator in northern Canterbury where I gained my practical knowledge of vertebrate pest control. Alongside with my personal and professional skills it developed into a career that I am so passionate about it.

What makes up a normal day for you?

I can be in the office staring at a computer screen one minute and the next I may be out on a farm engaging with landowners, auditing contractors or carrying out monitoring and trials.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

The people. From those who patiently answered my ‘rookie’ questions, to the network of colleagues and NZBI members, contractors that carry out work on our behalf, community groups that volunteer their time to ambitious projects and finally all the landowners that are willing to leave a legacy… and the great NZ outdoors!

Name: John Sanson

Organisation: Biosecurity New Zealand | Ministry for Primary Industries

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Name: Alastair Fairweather

Organisation: Waikato Regional Council

Job Title: Senior Biosecurity Advisor

Time in the job: 1 year

What motivates you to be involved in biosecurity?

Invasive species pose a serious threat to New Zealand’s unique ecosystems and our economy. I enjoy developing solutions to address this.

What has been your career path to your current position?

After completing a BSc (Tech) at Waikato University, I worked as a Science Technician for the Ecology Division, DSIR for a couple of years. I then decided to do my OE and ended up working in Scotland for 9 years as a Wildlife Ranger for the Forestry Commission. At the same time I completed a PhD at the University of Aberdeen on roe deer management in upland plantations. When I came back to NZ I worked for DOC for 20 years as Technical Advisor (Animal Pests).

What makes up a normal day for you?

I provide advice and support to the biosecurity staff at Waikato Regional Council, so each day is different. It ranges from writing strategic plans, advice on control tools and techniques, through to planning research on wallabies.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

The variation in the work and being part of a dedicated and enthusiastic team.

Name: Chris Macann

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