Waste Advisory Board

The Waste Advisory Board is established under Part 7 of the Waste Minimisation Act.

The board provides the Minister for the Environment with waste minimisation advice upon request.

The Waste Minimisation Act states that the Minister must request the board’s advice on:

• declaring a product to be a ‘priority product’ under the Act (which requires it to have a product stewardship scheme)
• making guidelines about the contents and expected effects of product stewardship schemes for priority products
• accrediting a product stewardship scheme that is not consistent with published guidelines
• recommending the making of regulations prohibiting the sale of a priority product except in accordance with an accredited scheme
• recommending the making of regulations on products, materials and waste
• setting or modifying criteria for approving funding of a project from waste disposal levy funds
• reviewing the effectiveness of the waste disposal levy
• recommending the making of regulations on the imposition or rate of the waste disposal levy
• recommending the making of regulations on records, information and reports.

The Minister for the Environment may also request the board's advice on wider waste minimisation matters.

The board provides advice within the terms of reference set by the Minister for the Environment. The board is supported by a secretariat based at the Ministry for the Environment.

• Waste Advisory Board's Terms of Reference [PDF, 2.7 MB].

Waste Advisory Board members

The current members appointed to the Board and their terms of appointment are:

All members were appointed to the board by Cabinet following a public call for nominations. Members have been selected for their knowledge, skills and experience on the Waste Minimisation Act, community waste minimisation projects, business/industry (including the commercial waste industry), local government, and tikanga Māori.

Board members serve for three years, unless a shorter term is stated in his or her notice of appointment.

Darren Patterson (Chair)
Darren Patterson is the current Board Chair and has been on the Board for three years. He has more than 20 years’ experience in industry, local and central government, community projects and knowledge of matters likely to come before the Board. He also has knowledge of carbon analysis and emissions reduction. He is a skilled chair with experience in the role for WasteMINZ, the Sustainable Initiative Funds Trust and the 3R Group. Darren is the Sustainability Manager at Meadow Mushrooms. Previously, he was a self-employed consultant in the resource recovery sector. He has significant board experience including 12 years on the WasteMINZ Board 8 years with the Sustainable Initiative Fund Trust, was a board member of the Agrecovery Foundation and a Director for several private companies.

Sue Coutts
With over 16 years’ practical experience in running a resource recovery centre and education programmes, Sue is an expert in business development and community engagement. She is the General Manager of Wanaka Wastebusters and a founding trustee of the Sustainable Wanaka Charitable Trust and the Zero Waste Network.

Jacqui Forbes
Jacqui (Ngā Ruahinerangi) has been a leader in the community resource recovery sector for many years. She is both one of the founders and Kaihautū Matua of the Para Kore Programme which operates with more than 600 different marae, kōhanga reo, kura and other rōpū throughout Aotearoa. Jacqui has experience working in community recycling, community enterprise and zero waste education. She has previously worked as a senior manager for Xtreme Zero Waste, an Enviroschools facilitator at the Waikato Regional Council, and as a kura kaupapa Māori and kōhanga reo kaiako.

Denise Roche
Denise comes from a trade union background. She maintains a keen interest work conditions for people employed in the waste and recycling sector. Denise has governance experience at both central and local government level and has served as a trustee for a variety of community and national environmental organisations. She has also worked in the community recycling sector, conducted international comparative waste minimisation studies and is regarded as a strong advocate for effective product stewardship schemes. Denise is Ngāti Raukawa and her hapu is Ngāti Huri.

Don Chittock
Don is currently the New Zealand Quarries Environment and Sustainability Manager at Fulton Hogan. Don has experience in the construction sector. This is particularly in environmental management support to quarries and clean-fill operations. Don has previously worked for Environment Canterbury where he managed strategic work programmes on waste and hazardous substances, and contaminated land and pollution prevention.

Gael Ogilvie
Gael has been a passionate advocate for the natural environment since her early 20s. She is an ecologist by training and has had decades of experience in the waste management, climate change and conservation sectors in New Zealand and overseas. Gael has advised the public and private sectors on circular economy, product stewardship, environmental labelling and life cycle assessment initiatives. Her expertise also includes measurement and mitigating Greenhouse Gas emissions. In 2007 Gael founded the Tread Lightly Charitable Trust to build and operate mobile educational facilities which inspire lifestyle changes, such as minimising waste, that will protect our natural environment.

Teina Boasa-Dean
Teina Boasa-Dean has 25 years’ experience in environmental science, ecological development, and waste management. She is currently a Māori Soil Science Research Advisor and Te Reo Māori Community Language Commissioner. Teina is experienced in governance, climate change, waste, and soil. She also advocates for the circular economy and played a role as member of the Māori technical experts group commissioned to work on the new waste strategy. Teina is the co-founder and co-designer of the Māori circular economy model known as Te Takarangi a developmental system that explores Māori cultural values in action for the restoration of natural living systems.

David Howie
David Howie is the General Manager of the Lower North Island for Waste Management. He is also a Director for Waste Management NZ Ltd and Midwest Disposal Ltd. His commercial waste industry experience is a great fit for the Board and would fulfil a need for more industry experience.