He was formally the Chief of Operations for Boyle River Outdoor Education Centre and was responsible for the operational management of the facility and programmes.

Nick has worked in outdoor education programmes in New Zealand and Australia, he has experience working with youth and disabled people as well as expertise in securing funding for programmes.

Nick has also worked in food production systems, where he was solutions focused on sustainable urban community sourced agriculture.

Te Kōhaka o Tūhaitara Trust Chair Joseph Hullen says they interviewed some fantastic candidates for the role, but Nick really stood out.

“It was obvious to us that Nick was a very real and caring person. He is an excellent relationship builder and strategic thinker, we feel he has the vision to take the Trust into the next phase.

“We pride ourselves on our connections with our local schools and we have a strong focus on sustainability, increasing biodiversity and looking after our natural environments.

“Nick’s experience running outdoor education programmes and his focus on sustainable practices will be a huge asset to the Trust.

“We look forward to him officially coming on board on 24 July.”

Joseph Hullen says on behalf of the trustees they would also like to thank Dean Barlow who has done a great job as acting GM since 1 March.

Te Kōhaka o Tūhaitara Trust is a registered charity responsible for the rehabilitation and management of Tūhaitara Coastal Park. They acknowledge the co-governance nature of the Trust which is run by six trustees, three appointed by Te Runanga o Ngāi Tahu and three by Waimakariri District Council. The Trust employs a fulltime General Manager, and ranger staff.

The Park was established as an outcome of the settlement between Te Runanga o Ngāi Tahu and the Crown with the lands being gifted to the people of New Zealand.