Speakers & panelists

We are a volunteer run Incorporated Society with charitable status which recycles wood in Ōtaki. We strongly believe in "By Ōtaki for Ōtaki" and are exploring initiatives to honour this. Since our inception in 2020, we have prevented 181 tonnes of wood entering the landfill. Our volunteers feel a strong sense of purpose in the work we do and it enhances their wellbeing. The creativity of our customers continues to amaze us.
We are more than a Wood Recycling Centre!  

Our title is Zero Waste Ōtaki.
Presenters are Barbara Hoverd (Chairperson) Left. Rose Siva (Committee member, Publicity) Right.
 

Brigitte Sistig, Founder of  Repair Network Aotearoa (RNA), is a dynamic community leader who champions the circular economy and the Right to Repair Movement. Her cooperative initiatives have built an emerging ecosystem in Aotearoa, underpinned by a commitment to becoming a Te Tiriti-based organisation. Brigitte's approach empowers communities, businesses, and local government to co-create a repair culture, reducing waste and fostering local resilience in a way that is respectful of all.

Dick is the Waste Enterprises and Refuse Manager at Auckland Council. His responsibilities include managing: the Council’s 2 resource recovery parks (Waitakere and Waiheke) and transfer station (Aotea) the material recovery facility (where the kerbside recycling is sorted) the community recycling centres, the Redvale landfill contract.the private transfer station contracts the waste services (rubbish, recycling, inorganic and illegal dumping) on the Hauraki Gulf Islands.

Dick has 26 years experience in the waste industry. Now that the Waitakere transfer station has taken the first step to becoming a resource recovery park, he looks forward to implementing changes to reduce the amount of material going to landfill.

Dylan is the Co-Founder and Director of Levela Deconstruction, bringing over 10 years of experience in the deconstruction industry. With a strong passion for sustainable construction and demolition practices, he specializes in keeping resources in circulation in Aotearoa. Leveraging this expertise, he has co-founded Waste Less—an initiative aimed at helping the construction industry shift away from general waste skips, toward maximizing the reuse & Recyclability of materials through onsite material separation.

Gavin is a Professor at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland. His group explores how microbial communities adapt to human influences such as pollution events and agricultural management. A particular focus of Gavin’s research is to better understand how changes to microbial communities impact environmental health and production potential. Gavin has been a key member of the Aotearoa Impacts and Mitigation of Microplastics team, undertaking the first comprehensive research to quantify the impacts of plastics on the New Zealand environment.

Gerry has been involved in the recovery of organic materials and their reuse in soils for 30 years both in Australia and overseas, including roles in New Zealand and consultancy work in Samoa, Egypt, China, Scotland, India, Wales, Ireland, UK, France, Japan, Taiwan, Canada and the US. With an emphasis on community engagement, he developed the City to Soil collection program and helped refine an inoculant-based, odour-free, no-turn compost process based on the work of M. E. Bruce and Sir Albert Howard.
He has current projects in the fields of biochar, foliar fertilisers, feral animals, worms, food waste and compost. He currently works as an Organics Consultant to local business, farmers groups and councils both in person and on-line.

Greg has been working in the health and safety sector since 2000. He has a Graduate Diploma in OHS, the National Certificate in Adult Education and a Master of Advanced Leadership Practices. Greg is a Certified Cultural Intelligence Facilitator and is a Past President of both the New Zealand Institute of Safety Management and the International Network of Safety and Health Professional Organisations.He is exploring the world of cultural intelligence, curating content, hosting a podcast and in 2025 joins the CQ Fellows Programme, a certification program that provides participants with a mastery of cultural intelligence applied to a specific domain, in Greg's case workplace safety.

Jean-Luc is a sustainability-focused entrepreneur and co-founder of WasteXpert, ERC Contracting, and Waste Less. Through WasteX, his AI-driven platform, he enables the construction sector to reduce excess, track embodied carbon, and prevent waste before it’s created. His work spans digital innovation, deconstruction, and circular logistics—reshaping how Aotearoa builds. With a bold, data-led approach to the built environment, Jean-Luc is a business force driving measurable impact across construction, compliance, and  resource management.

With extensive experience in community-based environmental initiatives and social enterprise Jon is keen to see positive change in construction waste through an onsite systems led approach. Known as GreenJon he has initiated successful Ecological Restoration and Zero Waste Enterprises that serve the well-being of their respective communities. Currently Jon is working with WasteXperts to resolve (Construction & Demolition) waste.

Julie entered the zero waste world in 1999 when she was employed by Warren Snow as manager of Zero Waste NZ Trust. Later she helped set up the Zero Waste International Alliance, then worked with Warren at Envision advocating for a national container return scheme and developing the blueprint for an Auckland resource recovery network. In 2011 she joined Auckland Council to help write its first waste plan and drive establishment of the resource recovery network, finishing in 2024.

Justine is the General Manager, Waste Solutions at Auckland Council. Justine has worked in local government for over 20 years. She is committed to driving meaningful change, focusing on improving council’s short- and long-term impact for communities and the environment. With experience in operations, partnerships, property, finance, strategic planning and governance in both local government, NGOs and the commercial sector Justine is passionate about empowering others and helping to navigate and address complex challenges, with curiosity and empathy.

Katherine Dewar (Tau Iwi) is founder and MD at GoodSense.  An energising facilitator and trainer, Katherine has worked to advance sustainability through marketing, communications and behaviour change since joining the Sustainable Business Network in 2003.  She's volunteered in leadership roles for not-for-profit organisations and political campaigns in Aotearoa for over twenty years. Katherine is currently serving her second term on the Sustainable Business Network board.

Kathryn Lawlor is Chief Executive of MPHS Community Trust, where she has led for the past eight years. MPHS is a vibrant community-led organisation in Tāmaki Makaurau, proud to power two Community Recycling Centres, Waiōrea and Tipping Point. Kathryn brings over two decades of senior leadership in the social service sector, with a strong background in crisis and critical incident management, social justice, and community development. She also holds governance roles in areas she is passionate about, including family and sexual violence prevention and FASD. At home, she’s mum to two fabulous teenagers and a lively collection of pets.

Katie Buller is the Waste Planning Manager (Acting) in the Waste Solutions team at Auckland Council. Katie leads a team to implement a variety of waste minimisation projects and programmes in Auckland Council’s Waste Management and Minimisation plan. Katie’s work ranges from capability and training, programme design and management, to development and delivery of tactical marketing and communication campaigns. 
Katie is the current Chair of the WasteMinz Behaviour Change Sector group.

Liam Prince is a composter, and a zero waste practitioner, researcher and advocate. He has lived without a rubbish bin for almost a decade, with his partner Hannah, with whom he co-founded The Rubbish Trip. He is Chair of the Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance, has been a researcher with Zero Waste Aotearoa, and is the Composting Operations Manager at Wellington-based Kaicycle.

Louise Deane is the Project Lead for the Natural Organic Waste (NOW) Project at the Seagull Centre Trust. Her interest in using black soldier fly larvae to convert bio-waste into valuable resources began during her Master of Applied Innovation thesis. Building on this research, the Seagull Centre committed to developing the concept further and secured funding from the Waste Minimisation Fund (WMF) and Waikato Regional Council (WRC) to establish a pilot plant, which is now operational.

L’Rey is a descendant of Tainui, Ngāpuhi, Ngāi Te Rangi and European heritage. She currently works for GHD as a water engineer and is a Doctoral Candidate aiming to ‘Redefine engineering best practice through an indigenous Te Ao Māori lens'. L’Rey utilises mātauranga, tikanga Māori, technical knowledge and industry experience to influence engineering practice and solutions. She contributes to the UsedFULLY Board, ACE Board and NZ Māori Leadership Forum, CIRCUIT Board and Repair Cafe Aotearoa New Zealand. L’Rey was born and raised in South Auckland where she currently lives with her two beautiful children.

Matthew Luxon has spent the past decade building community enterprises that divert waste and create positive social and environmental impact. As founding, and now departing, chief executive of Localised, he has worked alongside talented teams and community partners to establish Zero Waste Hubs across Aotearoa. Matthew’s leadership has been shaped by the Zero Waste pioneers and mentors before him, and his passion remains in supporting financially sustainable, community-led initiatives that advance a just, regenerative future for all.

Melanie Kah works at the University of Auckland (New Zealand), where she carries out research and teaching activities (Environmental Science Programme). She studied soil science and agronomy (University of Lorraine, France) before developing her expertise in the exposure assessment of contaminants in the UK (University of York, FERA), Austria (University of Vienna) and Australia (CSIRO). Dr Kah’s work on nanopesticides is a good illustration of the multidisciplinary and intersectoral approaches applied in her research.

Monisha is the Community WasteWise Manager at Waste Solutions. With 13 years in local government, she thrives on leading positive change, empowering communities, and driving projects from concept to completion. Monisha believes in meaningful leadership and strategic planning to keep the vision front and centre—every step of the way. When not championing waste-wise initiatives, Monisha enjoys traveling with her family and socializing with friends, always fuelled by curiosity and connection.

The founder and CEO of the Sustainable Business Network (SBN), Rachel has played a critical role in advancing sustainability for more than 20 years. She is a regular presenter, collaborator and driver of action within NZ business. She provides strategic sustainability advice to countless businesses, ranging from large corporates to small enterprises, as well as government agencies. She currently sits on the Board of the Milford Foundation.  In 2018 she was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for years of service to sustainable business.

Rick Thorpe brings over two decades of frontline Zero Waste experience to this discussion. With 24 years at Xtreme Zero Waste in Raglan and 17 years on the Zero Waste Aotearoa Board, Rick’s deep practical knowledge and commitment to community-led solutions have shaped Zero Waste practice across Aotearoa.

Saeid Baroutian is a Professor of Chemical Engineering, Deputy Head of Department, Executive Director of the Circular Innovations (CIRCUIT) Research Centre, and Chair of the Engineering & Design Sustainability Committee at the University of Auckland. A sustainability advocate, researcher, educator, and cleantech entrepreneur, his work focuses on minimising waste and advancing the circular economy. Saeid has published more than 150 research articles and is the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Nurox Hydrothermal, and co-founder and Chief Technology & Operating Officer of Gaiatech - two cleantech start-ups commercialising cutting-edge technologies for the safe and sustainable treatment of complex healthcare and hospital waste streams.

Sally is tangata tiriti living on Ngāti Haumia land in Paekākāriki. She recognises the authority of tangata whenua over their lives, lands and waters. Currently the Knowledge and Engagement Lead at Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa, her background is in social policy research, having led research at the McGuinness Institute and Nicholson Consulting, advised the National Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry, and run GovTech initiatives at Creative HQ. You’ll find her teaching dance or facilitating sauna sessions when she is not working for economic systems change.

Stephanie Gibson (Rangitāne) is the Whakahaumanu a Hineahuone Lead. Steph has had a long standing passion for growing kai and composting. 5 years ago she helped bring to life Sustainable Kaipara, an organisation committed to protecting the local environment with a focus on waste minimisation across community, business, events and schools as well as running a community compost hub in Mangawhai. She is an active part of Aotearoa Composters Network and has been involved in the Whakahaumanu a Hineahuone project over the last year and is excited to see this project moving into it's second year with a focus on compost pilots across Aotearoa.

Steven Moe is a Partner at Parry Field Lawyers leading the impact team that has a focus on “for purpose” organisations helping get legal structures right and hosts the podcast ‘Seeds’ with 450+ interviews with inspiring people.

Director of External Affairs, Zero Waste Aotearoa

Sue has been involved in reuse, recycling and zero waste advocacy since starting work at Wastebusters in Wānaka in 2002. She joined the national and international zero waste crew at the Life with Waste Hui in Raglan in 2003. As Wastebusters GM, Sue worked on local operations, business and network development, influencing policy, and campaigning for change. She began working on external affairs with the Zero Waste Network in 2020. Sue has a social sciences background and a deep interest in community enterprise and the role of local-scale action for a just transition to a zero waste, zero carbon Aotearoa.