Chris Hale earns the Peter Ingram Memorial Award
Category: National. Posted: 6 March 2026
Dedicate to high standards and professional development:
Peter Ingram Award for Chris Hale
Waikato-based Chris Hale has been rewarded for his steadfast commitment, mentorship, and advocacy to plant pest biosecurity over almost three decades. Chris received the 2025 Peter Ingram Award for sharing and advancing knowledge of pest plants. Here is the nomination penned by colleague Heidi Pene:
It is with great respect and admiration that I nominate Chris Hale for the Peter Ingram Award.
Chris is the long-standing manager of C.G. Hale Ltd and has been a dedicated member of the Biosecurity Institute since 1996, when he began his career as a Pest Plant Officer. Over nearly three decades, Chris has demonstrated unwavering commitment to the biosecurity profession and has played a pivotal role in both operational delivery and professional development within the industry.
Chris has served as Chairperson of the Central Branch and has been a regular and enthusiastic attendee at both branch meetings and NETS conferences since their inception. His contributions to the institute and the wider sector are significant and enduring.
Until very recently—when he and his team joined Waikato Regional Council—Chris provided outstanding support and leadership to his staff. His advocacy for biosecurity and his dedication to high standards of training and performance have been evident in the longevity and loyalty of his team. He has continually encouraged professional growth by supporting staff attendance at NETS conferences, branch meetings, and active involvement in institute activities, including presentations, workshops, organising committees, and session chairing.
Chris’s ability to connect with people sets him apart. His excellent communication skills, calm reasoning, and credibility—particularly among the farming community thanks to his dairy farming background—have made him an exceptional ambassador for biosecurity. His practical knowledge of agricultural weed control is unmatched.
His leadership has extended beyond his own organisation. Chris has contributed to interagency collaborations, including the Tutsan and Yellow Bristle Grass Action Groups, and he has managed significant national pest programmes in the Waikato region, such as White Bryony and Manchurian Wild Rice. He has also been involved in national incursion responses for high-profile threats like Painted Apple Moth, Guava Moth, and Velvetleaf.
Chris Hale is a true stalwart of the institute. His steadfast commitment, mentorship, and advocacy have made a lasting impact on the pest plant profession and the people within it. Honouring him with the Peter Ingram Award would be a fitting recognition of his exceptional service, leadership, and legacy.
Peter Ingram was the pest plant coordinator at Environment Bay of Plenty when he died in August, 2001, not long before his 61st birthday.
Peter Ingram had a passion for learning, shared his knowledge and discussed ideas and theories. He was especially encouraging of his team at Environment Bay of Plenty to further their education, apply for study awards and take advantage of learning opportunities. He was a past president of the Institute of Noxious Plants Officers, a predecessor organisation of the NZBI.
The Peter Ingram Award is given to a member of the Biosecurity Institute who has successfully undertaken or enabled others to achieve, relevant to pest plant education, control or management.