​Meet your candidates

Hokonui Constituency

My principal place of residence is in the Hokonui Constituency area.

I’m Peter McDonald, and I’m respectfully asking for your continued support as your Hokonui representative on Environment Southland.

Despite government constraints on our core functions this term, we’ve achieved significant progress on flood protection. As chair of the Regional Services Committee, the announcement of the Dipton to Winton flood bank upgrades—a crucial component of Winton’s flood defences, is significant. This project, part of a comprehensive government-Environment Southland partnership, has secured $6 million in confirmed funding, with planning already underway.
If re-elected, flood defence projects in partnership with government will remain my top priority. Our community’s safety and resilience depend on these vital infrastructure investments.

Additionally, I believe ratepayers deserve transparency on council reform. I’ll commit to ensure you have clear options presented, with a referendum alongside the 2028 elections so you can decide our region’s future.
Experience matters. Your voice counts. I ask for your continued trust.

My principal place of residence is in the Hokonui Constituency area.

A lifetime of living and farming beside the Ōreti River has given me a strong passion for the environment and serving my community. As Co-Chair of ES Ōreti Catchment Liaison Committee I have noted that Catchment Management has played the poor cousin over the years as other ES divisions have grown exponentially.This has led to unsustainable rate hikes – a 37% increase over the last 3 years. That is why I want a more effective and efficient use of your rates and why I support central Governments drive for Councils to focus on core business and the need for increased transparency and accountability. I will bring extensive governance experience to the Council table. This includes Federated Farmers Southland President, Federated Farmers National Board, SIT Councillor, Telford Farm Board, and Trustee of Southland Power Trust.

I respectfully seek your support.

My principal place of residence is in the Invercargill-Rakiura Constituency area.

I’m standing for Environment Southland to provide a voice for evidence-based decision-making, grounded in community values and long-term wellbeing. With over 15 years’ experience in environmental science and ski guiding, and recent governance roles with the Guardians of Lakes Monowai, Manapouri and Te Anau, and the Southland Conservation Board, I’ve worked alongside farmers, iwi, agencies and community groups to protect and restore southern ecosystems.
I support practical, locally driven solutions that balance productive land use with the need to care for our air, land and water, while anticipating future climate challenges. Southland faces real challenges — but also real opportunities to lead through innovation, collaboration and kaitiakitanga.

I live in Southland and am raising my family here. I’m committed to transparent governance, evidence-based decisions, and ensuring a healthy environment for future generations.

Independent

My principal place of residence is in the Invercargill-Rakiura Constituency area.
Now in my third term on Environment Southland, I bring strong governance experience and a clear understanding of both council and central government processes. As Chair of the Strategy and Policy Committee and in a support role to the Council Chair, I work to ensure diverse perspectives are heard, and that our Treaty partners are encouraged and supported to help shape decisions.

I continue to advocate for local decision-making—led by communities, not imposed from afar. I support policies informed by science and iwi values, particularly as we manage water quality and quantity, coastal resilience, biosecurity, and urban air quality.

Bringing an urban mother’s perspective, I focus on practical outcomes—like clean water, future opportunities for families, and sustainable development that reflects the needs of our communities. I value strong relationships with our Territorial Authority colleagues and see the Regional Spatial Plan as vital to guiding Southland’s long-term growth and wellbeing.

My principal place of residence is in the Invercargill-Rakiura Constituency area.

Having grown up in rural Southland, my initial career was spent as an Army officer, serving for 25 years with the Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers.
Since leaving the Army in 2011, I have worked within the education and business sectors. Based in Invercargill, I am a self-employed consultant providing strategy and leadership development facilitation.
From 2019 to 2022 I served on Southland’s Regional Forum which formulated recommendations to achieve the community’s aspirations for freshwater quality.
For the last three years, as councillor, I have co-chaired the Regional Climate Change Working Group working collaboratively with mana whenua and local council partners.
These collaborative efforts have offered a privileged understanding of the challenges inherent in managing our region’s natural resources in the decades ahead.

I welcome the opportunity to continue using my accumulated knowledge and networks as a councillor in the service of the Southland community, and our natural environment.

My principal place of residence is in the Invercargill-Rakiura Constituency area.

I am standing for Environment Southland because I believe I have appropriate qualifications for this position. I am currently a councillor and chairman of the Finance and Performance Committee, and the Climate Change Sub-Committee. I have been a councillor for several terms. I have the understanding needed to be a constructive and positive contributor to decision making that is needed on the Council. I am a qualified Hearings Commissioner.I have scientific qualifications relevant to the role. These include an MSc (Hons) in Zoology and the Advanced Sustainable Nutrient Management Certificate from Massey University. These give me an in-depth understanding of how pollution affects freshwaters and how this can be avoided. I have lived in lnvercargill for 41 years and have an extensive knowledge of Southland's rivers and landscapes. I want to work to protect Southland's rivers and coast while promoting sustainable businesses and communities.

My principal place of residence is in the Invercargill-Rakiura Constituency area.

Eric Roy QSO JP

I have lived in Southland all my life and value the opportunities that I’ve enjoyed in work and recreation We live in a special place which has been very good to me and I’ve been honoured to gain experience in a variety of roles.
There is some talk of reform in local government. I would like to bring my experience to ensuring Southland gets the right outcome to protect and improve what we have while ensuring opportunities for the next generations.

My principal place of residence is in the Invercargill-Rakiura Constituency area.

I grew up in Riversdale and now live in Invercargill, where my whānau and I have always enjoyed the outdoors, from diving around Rakiura and Fiordland to fishing Southland’s coastline. This deep connection to our region fuels my commitment to protecting its natural beauty for future generations.
My first career was as a panel beater, restoring classic cars, a craft that taught me the value of patience, precision, and heritage. For the past decade, I’ve worked in education, tutoring and mentoring students at SIT.
I’m standing for Environment Southland because I care deeply about our people and our place. I support practical, community-led efforts to improve water quality in our rivers, streams, and estuaries. I believe in balanced, evidence-informed decision-making and collaboration with all sectors—urban and rural—to safeguard our environment while supporting local livelihoods.

Together, we can build a resilient future for Murihiku Southland and Rakiura.

Honesty, Responsibility, Resilience

My principal place of residence is in the Invercargill-Rakiura Constituency area.

I’m a proud Southlander raising four school-aged kids in Invercargill, so I share your stake in a healthy, prosperous future. Our people, land and rivers are treasures; protecting them is common sense, and our duty. I’m a Professional Engineer with 20 years’ experience leading complex projects. I know how to turn big goals into practical, value for money results.

I help businesses scoping renewable-energy upgrades, boosting jobs and national energy resilience. I have taught Engineering and Environmental Management at SIT and volunteer with Wise Response and DANZ, translating science into balanced advice. Good governance starts with listening, uses evidence, and plans for the long term—not the next headline.

If elected, I’ll champion smart flood protection, make every dollar deliver lasting environmental and community benefits, and keep decisions transparent and accountable. Vote for practical leadership that puts Southland families and future generations first. More information: schema.nz/n4es

He tangata whakahī ahau nō Murihiku, e whakatipu ana i āku tamariki tokowhā kei te kura i Waihōpai. Nō reira, he ōrite tā tātou hiahia kia toitū te oranga me te taurikura o āpōpō. He taonga ā tātou tāngata, to tatou whenua me ngā awa – he whakaaro tōtika te tiaki, ā, he kawenga hoki mā tātou.

E āwhina ana au i ngā pakihi ki te aromātai i ngā whakaritenga pānga-hounga, e whakakaha ana i ngā tūranga mahi me te mārohirohi o te hiko ā-motu. Ko te tino kāwanatanga he whakarongo, he whakamahi i te taunakitanga, ā, he whakamahere mō te pae tawhiti – ehara i te rongo nui o te rā.

Mēnā ka pōtitia au, ka tohe au mō te ārai waipuke whai whakaaro, kia whai hua ai ia tāra mō te taiao me te hapori, ā, kia mārama, kia whai takohanga hoki ngā whakataunga katoa.

(Abridged)

Independent

My principal place of residence is not in the Invercargill-Rakiura Constituency area.
I bring governance experience from large not-for-profits, a solid understanding of budgets, and a collaborative approach to both short and long-term planning. As a small business owner in rural Murihiku, I see how closely our land, water, and communities are connected, and how decisions made at the council table affect everyday lives.

Having lived and worked across the region for many years, I understand the challenges Southlanders face, from flood risks and rural resilience to sustainable growth and cost-of- living pressures. I care deeply about climate resilience and water quality. I want to help protect what makes this place special for generations to come.

I’m a calm, practical problem-solver with a wide community network, a respectful listener, who works hard to balance local priorities with the wellbeing of our wider region. I’ll bring a steady voice, a strong work ethic, and a good sense of humour to get things done.