Our People
Te Waiau Mahika Kai Trust can have up to seven Trustees, two of whom are nominated and appointed by Te Rūnanga o Ngai Tahu, and two by Meridian Energy Ltd, in accordance with the Trust Deed. The appointments are for a three year term and can be reconfirmed or changed at the completion of each term.
Our current Trustees and contractors are shown below.
Gail Thompson
Chair
Gail was appointed Chair of the Trust in 2012. She is a passionate advocate for realising the vision set by the Trust when it was first formed in 1997. Gail is actively involved with Te Rūnanga o Awarua and Te Rau Aroha Marae. Gail has represented Awarua in a range of forums and has a particular interest in customary fisheries and sits on the TRONT Board as Te Rūnanga o Awarua representative. A regular participant in the area’s tītī harvest, she is also a skilled weaver.
Gail and her husband Bubba live in Bluff, and have two children and six mokopuna.
Andrew Feierabend
Secretary and Treasurer
Andrew is a qualified resource management practitioner who has a wide range of experience in this area. He is currently employed by Meridian Energy Limited as the Statutory and Compliance Strategy Manager. He has been a Trustee since 2011. In his work for the Trust his approach is to ensure the Trust Deed Objectives are given effect to in way that reflects the ambitions of the original Trustees while also seeking to deliver mahika outcomes that are relevant to the Papatipu Rūnanga of Murihiku and the wider Ngāi Tahu whānau.
Andrew lives in Christchurch, but spends a lot of time in Southland as part of his role with Meridian. In his spare time he enjoys tramping, mountain biking and fishing.
Lynley McKay
Trustee
Lynley appointed to the Trust in 2020. As an active member of Ōraka-Aparima Rūnaka (who lease the site), Lynley has acquired a good insight into the principles and operation of the Trust. She has been treasurer, executive member, and involved in office management for Ōraka-Aparima Rūnaka. Lynley’s strengths are relationship building, communication, flexibility and lateral thinking.
Lynley lives in Ōraka (Colac Bay) with her husband.
Hamish Cuthbert
Trustee
Hamish Cuthbert lives in Christchurch with his family. He is responsible for Meridian Energy’s Environment Team. Hamish grew up on family farms, initially in South Canterbury near Fairlie and then on Banks Peninsula. He believes that the Te Waiau Mahika Kai Trust as a tangible way that mahika kai outcomes in the Waiau catchment can be improved while growing Ngāi Tahu connections and values in the Waiau catchment.
Dr Jane Kitson
Trustee
Ngāi Tahu ki Murihiku (Ōraka-Aparima, Waihopai and Awarua Rūnanga).
Jane is an ecologist and environmental scientist with research interests in freshwater, mahinga kai and cultural monitoring. She is the director of Kitson Consulting Ltd , a company that links values and science to support manawhenua in their environmental management aspirations and needs. She is involved in several mahinga kai/taonga species research projects, including those on kanakana and tītī.
She is a board of member of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga: New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence Member, a member of the Guardians of Lakes Manapouri, Monowai and Te Anau, the Rakiura Tītī Islands Administering Body, and the co-lead for the MBIE funded Fish Futures research programme.
Jane lives in Invercargill and is a mother of two teenage sons and the wife of Zane Moss (the manager of Southland Fish and Game). Her family has a strong interest in hunting and gathering/mahinga kai.
Vanessa Horwell
Programme Manager
Vanessa has a background in science and planning, and a life-long passion for conservation, environmental management and the outdoors. She has been working on restoration and conservation projects for the last ten years and also has experience in resource management planning, transport planning, project management and sustainability. She enjoys engaging with tamariki on sustainability, conservation, science and the environment.
Vanessa’s whakapapa is from Murihiku, Rakiura and Whenua Hou and she is a member of Ōraka-Aparima, Awarua and Hokonui Rūnanga. She is enjoying reconnecting with her Ngāi Tahu heritage and learning more about mahinga kai.
Vanessa is the Programme Manager for the Trust, overseeing the Te Kōawa Mahinga Kai restoration project, developing relationships with Papatipu Rūnaka and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, local government, local schools and other stakeholders. Vanessa manages the accounts and financials, project planning, communications and fundraising for the Trust and co-ordinates community days and outreach events. She lives in Te Anau with her whānau. Vanessa is also interested in food resilience and is on the board of the Fiordland Community Garden Charitable Trust.
Scott Waterman
Field Officer, Te Kōawa Restoration
Scott joined the Trust in 2023. His role is to turn the trust’s 2020-30 Strategic Vision into a ten-year management plan and oversee work to achieve it’s habitat restoration and community goals.
Scott has a background in contracting and pest control. Scott is based in Manapouri, and has a keen interest in the outdoors and hunting.
Scott manages the field component of the Te Kōawa Mahinga Kai Restoration Project, including the pest and weed control programmes, replanting, track development and maintenance, and pest and native species monitoring.