HSNO Committee
Our Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Committee considers applications for hazardous substances, and to introduce new organisms into New Zealand.
Committee members are appointed by our Board.
Dr. Andrea Byrom, Chairperson
Dr. Byrom has a PhD in wildlife ecology and held various research and leadership roles at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research for over 20 years. She stepped down from her role as director of the Biological Heritage National Science Challenge in 2020 after more than five years in that role.
Andrea is a Kairangi in Te Pūnaha Matatini Centre of Research Excellence and a member of the Chief Executive’s Science Advisory Panel for the Ministry for the Environment. She is a Trustee for the Project Crimson Trust, Tāpui Aotearoa, and The Predator Free NZ Trust, on the advisory board of the Science Media Centre, and a board member for the Environmental Protection Authority.
She values evidence-based decision-making, working at the intersection of science, policy and governance. She is excited about system and organisational change and about embedding Māori values and tikanga in her work.
Steven (Tīpene) Wilson
Steven Wilson is Deputy Chair of the EPA Board and was a former Chair of Ngā Kaihautū Tikanga Taiao, the EPA’s Māori Statutory Advisory Committee.
Steven is CEO of Maximize Consultancy, an organisation that builds relationships and value in Māori organisations, working with corporate and government partners. Steven has held a number of governance and leadership positions and has been recognised for helping develop the EPA's credibility and relationships with iwi and Māori.
He has worked with various iwi on environmental management. He helped an iwi Environmental Management Plan team, which won a NZ Planning Institute Best Practice award in strategic planning and guidance. Steven has knowledge of central government and regional council processes. He has facilitated a Te Herenga wānanga on hazardous substances.
Dr Derek Belton
Dr Derek Belton graduated in Veterinary Science from Massey University in 1977, and subsequently gained post-graduate qualifications in microbiology, epidemiology and business administration. He worked in practice, veterinary diagnostic laboratories, and public health, before joining the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Biosecurity Authority in 1999.
He became New Zealand’s Director of Animal Biosecurity and a Chief Technical Officer under the Biosecurity Act in 2000. His international representation role expanded to include all international organisations that the then Ministry of Agriculture Biosecurity Authority engaged with, along with negotiation of the biosecurity provisions of the sanitary and phytosanitary chapters of New Zealand trade agreements in late 2004.
In 2012 he joined the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) as Head of the International Trade Department. The International Trade Department provide corporate support and representation for OIE’s international animal health and welfare standard development functions. He recently retired from this position to return to New Zealand.
Peter Cressey
Peter Cressey is a senior scientist at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR). He has chemical risk assessment, food safety, disease burden and epidemiology experience. He has chaired expert advisory committees in the World Health Organisation, and participated on technical advisory and decision-making committees.
Peter uses a weight of evidence approach, is comfortable working outside his skills area and understands what the relevant information is in the context of a case.
Karen Coutts
Karen Coutts brings a solid social science background, a Māori perspectives lens, and Māori development and economic experience.
Karen also has experience working with the HSNO system as a member of the Ngāi Tahu HSNO Komiti. She is also a qualified RMA hearings panel member, and has good panel decision-making and communications experience across government, iwi, hapū and whanau levels.
Dr Julie Everett-Hincks
Dr Julie Everett-Hincks works for the Ministry for the Environment, and is involved in building knowledge to inform policy and enable decision making. She brings a multidisciplinary skill set, with expertise in agricultural sciences, environmental law, gene editing, and primary industries.
She also has communications experience, and is an enrolled Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand.
Dr Nicholas Fletcher
Dr Nick Fletcher is the Principal Toxicologist at Food Standards Australia and New Zealand. He is responsible for toxicological and risk assessment advice on chemicals and substances in foods, including additives, contaminants and allergens.
Nick has extensive experience in decision making to protect public health across regulatory frameworks for agricultural and veterinary chemicals, medicines and food chemicals.
Dr Andrea Forde
Dr Andrea Forde has experience with vaccine registration, genetic modification, and regulatory processes in the health system. She has expertise in infectious diseases, vaccine development and public health.
She is a good communicator, brings international exposure and strong evidence-based approach to decision-making.
Dr Kerry Laing
Dr Kerry Laing is a senior environmental scientist who is recognised as one of New Zealand's leading resource management specialists. He has more than 40 years' experience in environmental management and hazardous substance and waste management.
Kerry has a background in industrial chemistry and research, and has extensive experience in industrial operations and the regulatory and policy development for environmental management, hazardous substances and waste.
Kerry was part of a team responsible for the development of the Hazardous Substances Regulations, and brings extensive expertise in risk assessment and management of hazardous substances.
Professor Philip Lester
Dr Phil Lester is a research and teaching Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Victoria University of Wellington. He has an applied entomology background and a long career in the research of fumigants, pesticides, toxicology, biosecurity and pest management.
Phil has served on decision-making bodies, and has a measured approach to considering information.
Dr Louise Malone
Dr Louise Malone has a PhD from Imperial College, University of London, and a background in entomology. Her 38-year career with Plant & Food Research (and its predecessors HortResearch and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research) included research on biopesticides, honey bees, potential impacts of genetically modified plants on non-target organisms, tools for prioritising non-target organisms for risk assessment, and assessing invertebrate biodiversity in orchards.
She has a good understanding of New Zealand’s horticultural, forestry and agricultural sectors and their concerns about biosecurity, sustainability and maintaining access to export markets.
She has served on the HSNO Committee since 2012. In addition to her work on the HSNO Committee, Louise currently works for the Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition, a charity which supports, informs and represents New Zealanders with breast cancer.
Dr Philip Mladenov
Dr Philip Mladenov is an environmental consultant. He has chemical and environmental science expertise in the areas of freshwater, aquaculture, agriculture, climate change and marine biology.
He brings a strong ability to weigh up adverse and positive effects against the law. Philip also has good communication skills in clarifying complex issues to government and industry, and has performed a decision-making role on a complex consent application.
Gregory Percival
Greg Percival has a long history in the paint industry, with deep knowledge in the field of paint and associated chemistry.
He has worked for several companies, and is currently employed by Resene where he is involved in the development of their eco-paint lines.
Dr Ngaire Phillips
Dr Ngaire Phillips is co-Director of Streamlined Environmental, an environmental science consulting company based in Hamilton. She is an experienced environmental scientist with expertise in toxicology associated with environmental and human health. Her PhD examined the effects of heavy metal pollution on population genetic structure of a marine mussel.
Ngaire has led research programmes investigating the risks of contaminants (including heavy metals and organic chemicals) to human health, aquatic ecology and ecosystem functioning. She has practical experience in the derivation of toxicological data and in the undertaking of risk assessments through her role as a research scientist in New Zealand and Australia.
She is also a registered RMA Independent Commissioner. She brings a wealth of knowledge based on practical and extensive experience in a wide range of scientific disciplines, including freshwater and estuarine ecology, customary fisheries management, water quality and land management.
Dr John Taylor
Dr John Taylor is a Senior Lecturer in Virology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland and holds a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Edinburgh.
His scientific interests are in the biology of animal viruses and their development as vaccines and therapeutic tools.
John brings considerable expertise in the area of genetic engineering to the HSNO Committee, including the regulation of biological safety and genetic modification under the HSNO Act, having chaired the Biosafety Committee at New Zealand’s largest University since 2004.
Dr Stephen Tredwell
Dr Stephen Tredwell has experience in the chemical and materials processing industries. He has worked in research, development, technical, regulatory and quality assurance roles in the process and packaging sector.
Stephen has a deep understanding of the nature of chemical risk and experience with quality assurance and quality control-based processes in risk analysis.
Rick Witana
Rick Witana attends HSNO Committee meetings and provides input to the committee’s discussions on behalf of Ngā Kaihautū Tikanga Taiao.