Meet the Team

OCC TEAM | STEERING COMMITTEE

Hanna Stalker

Chair

Hanna is located in Hampden, North Otago based on a dryland block running trading and beef breeding cattle. As well as helping run the farm Hanna also has two young children and is involved with the Moeraki Catchment Group.

Previously Hanna has held roles with DairyNZ in their Environmental team as well as working for over 8 years in the dairy industry around Otago and Southland. Hanna studied at Massey University and holds a BSc majoring in Agriculture.

Manuherikia/Maniototo/Taieri CG Elected Representative

Becks Smith

COMING SOON

Vice-Chair & Central Lakes CG Elected Representative

Randall Aspinall

Randall Aspinall runs Mt Aspiring Station with his wife Allison. They are actively involved with the Wanaka Catchment Group as well as several other water quality and community based groups around the Upper Clutha. Randall has been involved with setting up the Otago Catchment Community from the start and sees it as a great opportunity to connect and support catchment groups across Otago.

Currently Vice-Chair & Central Lakes Catchment Group Elected Representative.

Lloyd McCall

Co-opted

I have lived all of my life in West Otago. Our family owns a 600 cow dairy farm on the banks of the Pomahaka river. This triggered my interest in water quality leading to my involvement with the setting up and management of the Pomahaka Water Care Group.

With Adam and Georgina running the farm I have time to work in the catchment group space and have a number of farm business management clients. Along with Robyn we propagate about 15,000 native riparian plants annually in conjunction with local fund raising groups and look after the dairy farms heifer block.

South/West Otago CG
Elected Representative

Simon O’Meara

I am originally a Southland lad but have been farming in Wilden West Otago for the last 22 years with my wife Penny.

I became involved in helping set up the Pomahaka Water Care Group after the ORC branded the Pomahaka River as Otago's dirtiest river in 2014.

As a sheep and beef farmer I thought it would be an easy fix for us, until I did some water testing.

Many years later I am very proud of the changes farmers have made to their land to improve the water quality in our part of the world.

Long may we continue to aspire to be the best regardless of regulation.

Katie Barns

Secretary/Treasurer

A process engineer by profession working in the resource industry who runs a beef fattening block farms with her husband just south of Waikouaiti in East Otago. Formerly the chair of the East Otago Catchment group and now on the group's governance committee.

Currently Secretary/Treasurer & North/East Otago Catchment Group Elected Representative.

Kate Wilson

Kate Wilson is the ORC Councillor representative on OCC. She lives in Middlemarch on the family farm and is involved in Upper Taieri Wai and Mid Taieri Wai catchment groups. Kate is an advocate for catchment-based solutions and understanding issues from a scientific perspective. In her down time Kate is involved in a number of community groups including chair of Otago Central Rail Trail Trust and involved in refurbishment of Big Hut and Leaning Lodge in the Rock & Pillar range.

ORC Representative

Joanna Gilroy

Co-opted

“I’ve worked at the Otago Regional Council for over 5 years and I am fortunate to work alongside and support groups such as OCC. I have a background in resource management and supporting communities. I look after the teams that work on biosecurity, ensuring the safety of our waterways, resource consents, compliance, catchment advisors, environmental data and integrated catchment management planning.  

I’m a Southlander through and through, but Otago is a special place and it is filled with people doing great things for the environment, so it is excellent to be able to support OCC and the people and projects that make our region stronger.”

Janet Gregory

MPI Representative

Janet Gregory is the MPI representative on OCC. She is originally from a farming family on the Taieri Plain, has property at Bannockburn in Central Otago and presently lives near Rangiora in Canterbury. Janet has worked for MPI since 2019, supporting catchment groups across the South Island with funding and project management advice via their catchment programme. She has been a valuable connection in understanding government directions and requirements. Her previous sixteen years with the NZ Landcare Trust working with farmers and rural communities on biodiversity protection and catchment development has helped endorse her ‘ground-up’ approach.