Profiles of the Members of the Biosecurity Ministerial Advisory Committee

Professor Mick Clout (Chair)

Professor Mick Clout

Mick Clout is Professor of Conservation Ecology and Director of the Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity at the University of Auckland. He is also the Chair of the Department of Conservation’s Kakapo Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee.

Mick Clout served on the previous New Zealand Biosecurity Council and was the founding Chair of the Species Survival Commission in the Invasive Species Specialist Group, which is part of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, from 1993 to 2008. Through this he has been involved in a wide range of international biosecurity initiatives to prevent, eradicate and manage invasive species.

Before joining the staff of the University of Auckland in 1993, Mick Clout was Research Manager and Acting Director (Protected Species) at the Department of Conservation. Prior to that (from 1977 to 1989) he was a scientist with the Ecology Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in Nelson.

Professor Clout is a vertebrate ecologist and has worked extensively on the behaviour and control of brushtail possums and on the conservation biology of native birds that are threatened by introduced pests.

Dr Barbara Hayden (Deputy Chair)

Dr Barbara Hayden

Dr Barbara Hayden is the Chief Scientist of Biodiversity and Biosecurity at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd (NIWA). She leads NIWA’s National Centre for Aquatic Biodiversity, Biosecurity and Sustainable Aquaculture. She is also a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Invasive Species Specialist Group.

Barbara has experience in the development of policy, including import health standards under the Biosecurity Act 1993, and has been involved in biosecurity research since 1987, when she established the New Zealand Ballast Water Working Group. She has presented numerous conference papers and seminars at national and international forums and has written over 100 publications, including papers in scientific literature, client reports and articles in popular journals and magazines. Dr Hayden has links with international marine biosecurity agencies, such as the United States Coast Guard, the United States Navy and Globallast, as well as with biosecurity scientists in a wide range of countries. 

Basil Chamberlain

Basil Chamberlain

Basil Chamberlain is Chief Executive of the Taranaki Regional Council. He has considerable involvement in a range of capacities at a national level, mainly in the fields of resource management and biosecurity. He was a member of the Biosecurity Council, Chair of the Pest Management Strategy Advisory Committee, a member of the Ministerial Reference Group for the Review of Resource Management Act 1991, Chair of the Local Government New Zealand Resource Management Act Improvement Project Team, a member of the Controller and Auditor-General’s Local Government Advisory Group, a member of the New Zealand Delegation to Mexico, a member and Deputy Chair of the Local Government New Zealand Resource Management Working Party, Convener of the Southern North Island Committee, a member of the National Science Strategy Committee for Sustainable Land Management, a member of the New Zealand Delegation to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris, Convenor of the Regional Councils’ Chief Executives Group, a member of the Natural Resources User Group, Chair of the Strategic Consultative Group on Sustainable Land Management Research, and a member of the Landcare Research Ltd Advisory Committee.

Mr Chamberlain holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from the University of Otago.

Terry Donaldson

Terry Donaldson

Terry is currently the Canterbury Rural Earthquake Recovery Coordinator, a member of the Greater Canterbury Forum (which is part of a ministerial taskforce reviewing family and community services), and a member of the Lottery Canterbury/Kaikoura Community Distribution Committee.

Terry has a history of involvement with biosecurity and environmental issues. He was the manager for biosecurity surveillance at AsureQuality (previously known as AgriQuality) from 1998 to 2008. He was the founding president of Motunau Marine Guardians in 2010 and was a member of Canterbury/Aoraki Conservation Board from 1998 to 2002. Terry also has a good knowledge of agriculture, having worked for MAF as a farm adviser from 1967 to 1987.

In 1966 Terry Donaldson was awarded a Bachelor of Science, in farm management, soils and economics, by Lincoln College in 1966.

David Douglas

David Douglas

David Douglas is a high country farmer (he owns Dome Hills Station), a director and shareholder in Whitestone Pastures Ltd (a company that is converting land into three dairy farms in North Otago) and Chair of The Wool Research Organisation. David also owns The Fine Wool Pack Company Ltd, which manufactures, distributes and retails nylon wool packs in New Zealand.

From 2004 to 2010 David was a director of Meat and Wool New Zealand. He represented Meat and Wool New Zealand on the Animal Health Board (AHB) Members’ Committee (he was the chair from 2008 to 2010) and the New Zealand Beef and Lamb Board. The AHB is responsible for administering the national pest management strategy for bovine tuberculosis. The New Zealand Beef and Lamb Board overseas the levy that funds beef and lamb promotion in New Zealand.

From 1996 to 2007 David Douglas was a director of Network Waitaki Ltd, which operates an electricity network. During this period David was also the chair and a shareholder of Pulse Business Solutions and CallSouth Ltd, which operated a call centre and toll company in Oamaru that employed 130 people.

David Douglas was a director of The New Zealand Merino Company from 1996 to 2003.

Edward Ellison

Edward Ellison

Edward Ellison has held an interest in Māori cultural issues, particularly Ngai Tahu issues, for many years. He is Chair of Te Runanga o Otakou, Chair of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Committee of Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, a member of the Ngai Tahu Research Consultation Committee at Otago University and the Chair of Kai Tahu Ki Otago Ltd (a Dunedin based Runanga owned environmental consultancy). He was Deputy Chair of Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu from 1996 to 2004, served on the Otago University Council from 2000 to 2009 and was a negotiator for the Ngai Tahu Claim Settlement in the 1990’s.

Edward has also been active in environmental issues at a local, regional and national level in both conservation and Resource Management Act aspects. He is a member of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust Board, a hearings commissioner for Environment Canterbury and is a member of the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Trust, which has engaged the community in a plan to eradicate possums from the Otago Peninsula. He has previously served on the Waitaki Water Allocation Board, Otago Conservation Board and the New Zealand Conservation Authority.

When he is not involved Māori cultural issues and environmental issues, Edward is a farmer on the Otago Peninsula.

Edward has tribal links to Ngai Tahu, Te Atiawa and Ngati Mutunga.

Dr Stephen Goldson

Dr Stephen Goldson

Dr Stephen Goldson is Executive Director of B3 (Better Border Biosecurity), a multi-partner cooperative science programme researching ways to reduce the rate at which new pests cross the border and establish in New Zealand, and Strategy Adviser for the Office of the Prime Minister’s Science Advisory Committee. He has undertaken research into pest management for the last 28 years, using biological control agents, and in doing so has made a significant contribution towards the suppression of New Zealand’s exotic grassland pest species.

Dr Goldson was the Chief Scientist at AgResearch from 2007 to 2009. During the establishment and early operation of the National Centre for Advanced Bio-protection Technologies, based at Lincoln University, he was its Deputy Director. Dr Goldson was President of the New Zealand Plant Protection Society between 2001 and 2003 and has contributed to a number of MAF’s technical advisory groups that were established to deal with pest and disease incursions. He has been a member of several national science policy advisory groups, and in 1996 and 1997 he worked as the science adviser to the then Minister of Science, Research and Technology, the Rt. Hon. Simon Upton. In 1999 he was appointed by Cabinet to the Independent Biotechnology Advisory Council.

Dr Goldson is a Professional Fellow at Lincoln University, a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural Science, the Royal Entomological Society of London and a Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Jan Hunt

Jan Hunt

Jan Hunt has been a private consultant in the tourism sector and a director of Skyline Enterprises (who have interests in hotels, casinos, property and tourism in New Zealand, Canada and Singapore) since 2008. She is also on the advisory board of the Pacific International Hotel Management School and on the board of the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce.

Jan Hunt was previously General Manger of the Millbrook Resort in Queenstown, having returned from Auckland where she was General Manager for Sky City – Hotels, Sky Tower and Conventions. She has also previously been the Chair of Destination Queenstown and the Chair of the Major Accommodation Group in Auckland.

Jan’s earlier years were spent as a general manager with Holiday Inn Group, opening and operating hotels in Australia, China and New Zealand.

Stewart Milne

Stewart Milne

Mr Milne has been a self employed consultant on transport and supply chains since 2008. He was the Executive Director of the Board of Airline Representatives of New Zealand from 1998 to 2008.

He started his career as a merchant seaman, before becoming an instructor and examiner, and then a policy advisor, for the Ministry of Transport. He later became Secretary for Transport. Mr Milne is also a past president of the International Chartered Institute of Transport and is still involved with the New Zealand Institute.

Mr Milne holds a Diploma of Public Administration from Victoria University and an Extra Masters Certificate of Competency. He was awarded a CBE for his contribution to transport in 1997. 

Louise Rosson QSO JP

Louise Rosson

Louise Rosson is currently a member of the Otago Community Trust. Louise has spent the past 24 years serving on the Dunedin City Council (six years) and 12 years with the Otago Regional Council (nine years as Chair), and has now retired from 12 years with the Otago District Health Board. She has been appointed to nine Crown Boards. Louise is also a former Vice President and President of Local Government New Zealand.

In 1997 Louise was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship to USA and Canada to study the linkages between environmental management, economic development and the community. In the mid 1990s Louise headed the formal application for the release of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease in New Zealand.

In 2005 Louise was awarded an Independent RMA Commissioner Certificate (Merit) by the Ministry for the Environment.

Louise Rosson has Ngāi Tahu ancestry.

Prof Caroline Saunders

Caroline Saunders

Caroline Saunders has been Professor of Trade and Environmental Economics and Director of the Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit at Lincoln University since 2001. Caroline has also been a member of Statistics New Zealand’s Advisory Board since 2007 and was a director of AgriQuality in 2006 and 2007.

Caroline Saunders has 30 years research expertise in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. She has over 200 publications specialising on the economic impact of policy, including research on international trade, resource use in regions, market access and the development of new technologies.

Caroline is undertaking research in two areas currently. The first area is economic development in New Zealand, especially for the regions. This includes assessing the optimum use of New Zealand’s resources to improve the well-being of New Zealanders. In addition, she is developing novel ways of assessing the impact of development, including social and environmental impacts.

The second area is evaluating trade and the environment, including assessing international markets policies and their impact on development. This includes developing and using the Lincoln Trade and Environment Model to assess the impacts on trade of various factors, including: changing policy, market trends, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and the development of new technologies.

Caroline Saunders was awarded economist for the year in 2007 and made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009.

Peter Silcock

Peter Silcock

Peter Silcock is the Chief Executive of Horticulture New Zealand, the industry representative body for New Zealand’s 7,000 commercial fruit, vegetable, berryfruit and olive growers. He is also a member of the Ministerial Advisory Group on Trade Negotiations, is an executive member of United Fresh New Zealand and Joint Chair of the Horticulture/Viticulture Seasonal Labour Governance Group. He was the Chair of the Plants Market Access Council for two years.

He began work in the industry in the mid 1980s. His knowledge and understanding of the commercial horticulture sector in New Zealand is considerable, and he is highly respected by growers, colleagues and government agencies.

Peter has represented the horticulture industry in biosecurity, market access and trade issues for 20 years.

Dr Fiona Thomson-Carter

Dr Fiona Thomson-Carter

Dr Fiona Thomson-Carter is the General Manager of Environmental Health at the Institute for Environmental Science and Research (ESR). Fiona has worked for ESR since April 2001, initially as the Communicable Disease Programme Leader. As General Manager of Environmental Health at ESR, Fiona has overall responsibility for the delivery of many national microbiological reference services essential for the maintenance and improvement of public health in New Zealand, including specifically, food-borne disease.

Dr Fiona Thomson-Carter was previously the Principal Clinical Scientist at the Scottish National Reference Laboratory. Dr Thomson-Carter has specific expertise in applying molecular characterisation methodologies to enteric pathogens and has been intimately involved in the investigation of major outbreaks of food-borne disease, including the central Scotland outbreak of the E. coli O157 infection in 1996.

Since coming to New Zealand, Fiona has been elected as a member of the National Enteric Zoonotic Disease Research Steering Committee and its Methodology Group. Fiona also chaired the associated Risk Management Group. Dr Thomson-Carter represents New Zealand in the international networks Enter-Net and PEN.

Dr Fiona Thomson-Carter’s international responsibilities include serving on the steering groups of the European Union funded Concerted Action "Verotoxigenic E. coli in Europe" and the Thematic Network "Campynet". 

Page last updated: 22 August 2011