Members of the Board 

Judge David Kirkpatrick

Judge David Kirkpatrick is the Chief Environment Court Judge appointed in July 2020. He has sat on the Environment Court since 2014. Prior to this he was a sole barrister specialising in administrative and public law generally, and resource management law in particular.

From 1994 to 2004 Judge Kirkpatrick was a partner in the Local Government and Environment practice area of Simpson Grierson. In that role he was the primary legal advisor to a number of local authorities in the Auckland region in regard to public administration, the regulation of public utilities and resource management. He has also acted for a wide range of corporate clients, incorporated societies and individuals in those fields. In 2008/09 he acted as counsel assisting the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance.

Judge Kirkpatrick was also the chair of the Auckland Unitary Plan Independent Hearings Panel which heard submissions on the Auckland Unitary Plan and made recommendations on the Plan to the Auckland Council.

Professor Linda Te Aho

Linda Te Aho (Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Waikato-Tainui) is the Associate Dean Māori for the Division of Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Sciences (Te Wānanga o Ngā Kete), and a legal academic at Te Piringa Faculty of Law. She is a member of the executive board for Waikato-Tainui (Te Arataura), a board member of the Waikato-Tainui College for Research and Development, and a director of Tainui Group Holdings Ltd.

Linda was appointed by Waikato-Tainui as a guardian mandated under the landmark settlement for the co-management of the Waikato River ecosystem to develop the long-term vision for its holistic restoration. Linda is a board member for the Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board.

Linda was a key member of the Ngāti Koroki Kahukura Treaty Claims team and continues to provides specialist advice on Treaty of Waitangi claims and Post-Settlement Governance issues to iwi and hapū organisations. She provides expert advice on Māori legal issues in relation to lands and freshwater to Iwi leaders, to Crown agencies and government departments.

As a member of the Waikato Tainui, Te Arataura executive, Professor Te Aho will not engage in any discussions that Board may have regarding the application or hearing in order to manage any potential conflicts of interest.

Anthony Wilson

Anthony Wilson is a Distinguished Fellow of Engineering New Zealand for his contribution to municipal infrastructure. His career is based on municipal infrastructure, both in New Zealand and overseas. His contributions are seen in the development and infrastructure role he filled at New Plymouth City Council between 1983–2012, where he was instrumental in considerably strengthening and redeveloping all aspects of the original water supply and wastewater treatment facilities. He joined Wellington City Council in November 2012 and was City Engineer from November 2012 to June 2017.

Anthony has led the New Zealand water sector in the development of best practice and has extensive experience in municipal infrastructure. He was invited to be on the three-member panel for the 2016 Government Inquiry into Havelock North Drinking Water. His latest project from 2017-2020 was project managing the new terminal at New Plymouth Airport.