Speakers
Our speakers bring serious expertise and fresh thinking to the challenges facing local government. From politicians to policy experts and community leaders, they’ll share insights on economic growth, infrastructure, reform, and ways to find efficiencies and boost performance. Expect real-world strategies and practical takeaways to help you drive change in your own community.
Keynote speakers >
Natalie de Boursac
A British/Turkish global citizen, Natalie de Boursac spent her childhood in Singapore and Hong Kong before pursuing higher education in New York.
Mark Di Somma
Mark Di Somma is a strategist with a passion for helping organisations become more innovative and impactful.
Jason Paris
Jason Paris is a proud New Zealander and Southlander, currently leading One New Zealand (formerly Vodafone NZ) as CEO.
MC >
Miriama Kamo
Award winning journalist, Miriama Kamo, is the presenter and a reporter for TVNZ’s flagship current affairs programme, Sunday and a presenter on TVNZ’s bilingual Māori and English current affairs show, Marae.
Political guests >
Hon Chris Bishop
Chris Bishop is the Minister of Housing, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Minister of Transport, Leader of the House, Associate Minister of Finance and Associate Minister for Sport and Recreation.
Rt Hon Chris Hipkins
Chris Hipkins is the Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party and Member of Parliament for Remutaka.
Hon James Meager
James Meager is the National MP for Rangitata, Minister for Hunting and Fishing, Minister for the South Island, Minister for Youth and Associate Minister of Transport.
Hon David Seymour
Hon David Seymour is Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Regulation, and the Associate Minister of Health, Finance, Education, and Justice.
Tangi Utikere
A former Deputy Mayor and Palmerston North’s first Pasifika councillor, Tangi Utikere brings a wealth of experience in local government and education.
Hon Simon Watts
Simon Watts is the Minister of Climate Change, Minister for Energy, Minister for Local Government and Minister of Revenue.
Speakers >
Mayor Tamah Alley
Tamah Alley is the current Mayor of Central Otago, having assumed office in October 2024. She has a background in law enforcement, serving as a police officer for 12 years in Auckland and Central Otago.
Sarah Baddeley
Sarah offers a special combination of first-class analytical abilities and strategic thinking informed by her original Treasury training as a commercial economist.
Mayor Campbell Barry
Campbell Barry is in his second term as the mayor of Lower Hutt. He was first elected to the role in 2019, making history as New Zealand’s youngest ever elected Mayor of a city at 28.
Darren Beatty
Darren Beatty has whakapapa links to Te Tairawhiti and Te Taitokerau. His professional passion is working with Māori organisations providing financial strategic support to deliver benefits to the Māori stakeholders the entity is set up to serve.
Bridget Bell
Bridget descends from the region known as the heart stands still, Manawatū. As a first-term Māori Ward councillor, her heart beats strongly for rangatahi Māori with a strong focus on the wellbeing of her local iwi and wider community.
Frédérique Bertrand
Frédérique leads the Natural and Built Environments team at the Department of Internal Affairs.
Matt Body
An experienced Architect, Matt leads the Warren and Mahoney Architects sport and recreation team in New Zealand and is a director of the International Association for Sports and Recreation – Australia/New Zealand Section.
Toni Boynton
Toni Boynton is a passionate advocate for Māori empowerment and community wellbeing.
Mayor Sam Broughton
Sam was re-elected as Mayor of Waikirirkiri Selwyn in 2019 and 2022, he has been part of local government since he first became a councillor in 2010.
Graham Darlow
Graham Darlow is renowned for his construction industry leadership and has over 40 years’ experience in New Zealand’s infrastructure and construction sectors. He has been directly involved in many of New Zealand’s largest and most challenging building and infrastructure projects.
Nick Davis
For more than 20 years, Nick has advised central and local government and industry clients on a wide range of strategy and policy issues, including leading major policy reforms and machinery-of-government changes.
Kelvyn Eglinton
Kelvyn is the Chair of Surf Lifesaving New Zealand and the New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Foundation.
Susan Freeman-Greene
Susan Freeman-Greene leads Local Government New Zealand – the peak body for councils around the country. LGNZ advocates, connects and supports its members.
Hartley Hare
Hartley is the Strategic Transport Manager for the Southland District Council. He is also the Leadership Group Chair for the Road Efficiency Group Te Ringa Maimoa.
Mayor Neil Holdom
Neil was elected New Plymouth District Mayor in 2016. He has a background in public and private infrastructure, strategy and communications.
Toi Iti
Toi Iti is a Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor with a background in creative leadership, kaupapa Māori advocacy, and regional development.
Sam Kellar
Sam Kellar is the General Manager of Whai Rawa, the investment scheme of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.
Gretchen La Roche
Gretchen is an experienced arts leader and a trained musician.
Daniel Lawrey
Daniel is a Principal Policy Advisor at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where he leads policy improvements on infrastructure funding and financing to support urban growth.
Paul Loof
Paul Loof is a Partner at QLG Advisory with over 25 years' experience in executive performance and organisational development.
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Hon Tracey Martin
A stay at home Mum for 15 years raising her three children, Tracey Martin was a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for nine years.
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Andrew McKillop
Andrew is an Engineering New Zealand Fellow, with 40 years’ experience managing and leading engineering programmes. He is an excellent communicator who focuses on building relationships to achieve tangible results.
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Suz Miller
Suz Miller has more than 20 years' experience in driving technological innovation and growth.
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Dinnie Moeahu
Dinnie's diverse life experiences, including his current pursuit of a PhD in Māori & Indigenous Leadership, shape his work in local government.
Mayor David Moore
David Moore is the current mayor of the Ōpōtiki District and served an additional term as a councillor between 2019-2022. He has been engaged and involved in the wider local government sector since he was elected in 2019.
Scott Necklen
Scott joined LGNZ in 2013 and is now the Deputy Chief Executive where his primary focus is to bolster and support council capability.
David Norman
David has held a number of increasingly senior roles in economics advice over the last 15 years, and has worked on over 700 economics and strategy projects, across practically every council jurisdiction in New Zealand and with around 10 different economic development agencies.
Mayor Susan O’Regan
Born and raised in the Waikato, Susan O’Regan comes from a family deeply rooted in both farming and public service.
Steph O’Sullivan
Steph is currently Chief Executive at Waipā District Council. Her executive and governance leadership roles span the private, public and iwi sectors.
Vajini Pannila
Vajini Pannila is a Principal and Co-lead of the Civic and Communities Sector of Warren and Mahoney.
Craig Pauling
Craig was born and raised in Ōtautahi/Christchurch, attended Aranui High School and is a graduate of Lincoln University. He is of Māori and European descent, with tribal affiliations to Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Mutunga.
Hillmarè Schulze
Hillmarè is the owner and Chief Economist at BERL, with over 30 years of experience working in New Zealand, the Pacific, and Africa.
Sarah Scott
Sarah leads Simpson Grierson’s South Island planning and environment group.
Hon Dr Nick Smith
First-term Mayor of Nelson, Hon Dr Nick Smith, is well known in the Nelson-Tasman region after more than three decades as an MP, firstly in the former Tasman electorate and then as the MP for Nelson.
Sarah Stevenson
Sarah Stevenson is a governance and planning expert with over 25 years’ experience in central and local government.
Mayor Rehette Stoltz
Mayor Rehette Stoltz has over 12 years of experience in local government, driven by a passion to represent families with young children and ensure their voices are heard on issues like walkways, libraries, museums, and playgrounds.
Stephanie Styles
Stephanie Styles has over 25 years' experience as a resource management consultant and as a senior local authority planner. She has a wide-ranging knowledge across all forms of statutory and spatial planning, and is skilled at finding solutions to complex planning issues.
Justin Tipa
Justin Tipa (Ngāi Tahu) is the elected Kaiwhakahaere (Chair) of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.
Mark Todd
Mark founded Ockham Residential in 2009, with a vision for the city’s future underpinned by the ethos: to reimagine urban communities. Ockham has delivered over 1,400 apartments across 18 developments.
Sam Toulmin
Sam leads the Preconstruction team at Apollo Projects, overseeing all aspects of early project engagement and delivery including business development and marketing, design management, estimating, Early Contractor Involvement (ECI), and tendering.
Mike Wakefield
Mike is a partner in Simpson Grierson’s planning and environment group, based in Wellington.
Simon Wall
Simon is the General Manager – Strategy & Relationships at Apollo Projects with over 20 years of experience in the design and delivery of complex infrastructure projects.
Seija Wellington
Seija Wellington leads Arup’s Planning and Cities business in Queensland, where she brings over two decades of experience shaping the future of urban and regional environments.
Muna Wharawhara
Muna Wharawhara has worked in the Iwi relationship and engagement space for almost 35 years.
Tanya Winter
Tanya Winter is a cheeky troublemaker with a big smile and a warm heart. Currently the “Chief Exciter” at Ōtorohanga District Council, she sees her role not as a job, but a calling.