Former Auditor-General to Head Zealandia

Last night the Council confirmed the new members of the Zealandia interim board with former Auditor-General Kevin Brady appointed chair.

The appointment of an interim board at Zealandia is the first step in securing its future.

Mayor Celia Wade-Brown is confident that under Mr Brady's stewardship the board, working in partnership with Wellington City Council, will lead Zealandia confidently through its next stage of development.

"Zealandia is a treasured ecological asset for our city which the Council wants to see flourish and develop. The interim board will ensure Zealandia has a firm foundation to build on," says the Mayor.

Richard Bentley, chair of the Guardians of Karori Sanctuary, is confident that the guardians' vision for Zealandia will be realised.

"The interim board has the right mix of skills to ensure the future of Zealandia as an ecological asset, a centre for ecology education and a visitor destination."

The other board members are:

Charles Daugherty
Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Professor of Ecology Victoria University.
Professor Daugherty leads VUW's contribution to the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution.  His research interests focus on the ecology, genetics, and conservation of indigenous New Zealand animals.

George Hickton
Former Chief Executive on the New Zealand Tourism Board. He repositioned the organisation as Tourism New Zealand and launched the 100% Pure New Zealand campaign. During this time tourism growth to New Zealand has increased by 50% and Tourism is now one of New Zealand's largest single export industries.

Pam Fuller
As guide and host convenor for the past 20 years, Pam is a much-loved part of the Karori Sanctuary family and has a deep understanding of the history and development of Zealandia.

Steve Thompson
Steve is the marketing manager for Westpac Stadium. He was Marketing and Development Manager for the Karori Sanctuary Trust between1997 and 2001.

Russ Ballard
Russell holds several Board appointments and was recently elected Chancellor of Massey University. He has over 60 articles published in various science journals and books, and was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1994.

Graeme Mitchell
Graeme has a finance background. He is a chartered accountant, recently retired from Deloitte, Wellington, where he was an Audit and Assurance partner for over 28 years. He is a Member of Council of Victoria University of Wellington, a Director of Barnardos New Zealand and Honorary Consul General for Norway.

The new board members take up their positions at the end of the month, when the terms of the majority of the current board members officially expire.

The Council also acknowledged at last night's Council meeting the significant contribution made by the Trustees appointed by the Guardians, Catherine Isaac (Chair) and Don Huse, who have both decided to stand down.