OUR BOARD
Introducing our board members...
JUSTJUSTIN HUTTON
RVER RATS
Chairman
Current chair Justin has owned River Rats Raft & Kayak for over 22 years and they have been charter members for over 20 years.
Justin says that they make their living from showing off the amazing natural environment in Rotorua so he felt that there was an obligation to have as little impact on it as possible and that’s what prompted them to join all those years ago.
Helping others on a journey to be more sustainable is a great way to give back to the area he is passionate about.
PAM MCGRATH
BURIED VILLAGE
Tresurer
We need to ensure our businesses, environments and community are protected now and for generations to come. I’ve been involved since the beginning of the charter and I still believe working together helps us combine our energy and resources towards the shared goal of sustainability.
MARK BOWIE
WAIKITE VALLEY THERMAL HOT POOLS
Secretary
As with a lot of other tourism hospitality businesses in and around Rotorua we work and operate in a pretty damn unique natural setting, and belonging to the Rotorua Sustainable Charter is a way to help us make our business more accountable to the environment we work in by way of sharing ideas, strategies and networking with other local like-minded businesses.
BRYCE HEARD
ROTORUA BUSINESS CHAMBER
Board Member
The advent of COVID has temporarily taken business’s eye off the sustainability ball. But there is no doubt that Climate Change, Water Quality, Waste Management, Greenhouse Gas levels, and Species Extinction - are global threats to all of us - and in need of urgent rectification. It is everyone’s duty to do everything within our power, to rectify the mess that we seven billion humans have created, for subsequent generations to contend with. COVID may not be our main problem - it may be a part of nature’s cure!
JO HOLMES
ROTORUA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Board Member
As the city’s Economic Development Agency, the need to protect, restore and enhance the environment is core to our vision of unlocking the potential of Rotorua. We’re proud to support the Charter and its work to make Rotorua the most sustainable destination in the Southern Hemisphere.
ANDREW JENSEN
SKYLINE
BOARD MEMBER
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FISHER WANG
ROTORUA LAKES COUNCIL
Board Member
APR Consultants Ltd was involved in the inception of the Charter in Rotorua and have worked as a major sponsor since. For more than 20 years APR has managed the Rotorua Sustainable Charter through the role of the Sustainability Advisor. In the past 10 years, APR has also taken over the role of Charter Administration.
JUSTDERYCK SHAW
APR CONSULTANTS
Back in the mid to late 1990s Rotorua was on a journey to encapsulate the characteristics that underpinned Rotorua as a destination. A key part of this was about an intergenerational perspective on its values which led to the tagline “Rotorua – feel the spirit”. This was about being authentic and looking at our commitments to district residents and visitors on a sustainable basis. Three of us came together driven by the enthusiasm of the late Harvey James to develop an ongoing sustainable framework for Rotorua. This was a flax roots initiative that was about businesses committing to a trajectory of adopting sustainable programmes around their business whether it was around reducing energy consumption, reducing waste, recycling, supporting community initiatives or increasing fuel economy for a fleet. This was also around businesses having greater connections with their communities and also about the bottom line for businesses, as many local business have found that by adopting more sustainable practices can improve business efficiency and lead to improved business performance. This ongoing journey has been a key part of Deryck’s long involvement with the Charter and ensuring that Rotorua businesses can get timely information and advice around sustainable practice through our great Charter team.
Overall this has meant that businesses adopting more sustainable practices has been good for the environment, good for our community and has enhanced Rotorua’s brand reputation as a destination.