Peters names Antarctica NZ Board appointments

Paul Hargreaves has been reappointed as Chair of Antarctica New Zealand's Management Board, while Living Earth director Robert Fenwick has joined the Board

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Paul Hargreaves has been reappointed as Chair of Antarctica New Zealand's Management Board, Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced today.

Living Earth director Robert Fenwick, a climate change and sustainable development consultant, has also been appointed to the Board.

Mr Hargreaves, a former chief executive of NIWA, will continue as Chair until July 2008. Mr Fenwick's appointment runs until June 2010.

"Antarctica New Zealand provides excellent support for New Zealand Antarctic scientists, who are world leaders in their fields," Mr Peters said.

"The appointments of Mr Hargreaves and Mr Fenwick will help ensure the board continues its successful management of New Zealand's activities on the ice," Mr Peters said.

"Antarctica New Zealand celebrated Scott Base's 50th Anniversary, as well as 50 years of New Zealand-United States cooperation during the 2006/07 season.

"With the International Polar Year starting in March, Antarctica New Zealand anticipates the new season will be one of its busiest to date. Among a number of planned projects will be the second season of the highly successful multinational Antarctic climate change project, ANDRILL," Mr Peters said.

Antarctica New Zealand is a crown entity that manages New Zealand's national programme in Antarctica. Its other board members are former chief executive of World Wide Fund for Nature New Zealand Jo Breeze; retired Defence Secretary Graham Fortune; Bank of New Zealand chairman Kerry McDonald; marine conservationist Janice Molloy, and Auckland University Chair in Marine Science John Montgomery.