WasteMINZ

WasteMINZ Board election 2024

WasteMINZ Board members provide governance and strategic direction for WasteMINZ, monitor the organisation's performance, and protect the integrity of the organisation. 

 

The Board consists of six WasteMINZ financial members who are elected for a term of two years. Three of the six elected Board members complete their two-year terms at alternate annual general meetings, so there are three spaces available. 


This year, we have received five nominations, which you can see below in alphabetical order:


For more info on the Board voting process, see these FAQs. 

​​Andy Bedford, North Island Manager - Ecogas

Andy Bedford is the new North Island Manager for Ecogas. Andy manages the delivery of Ecogas' strategic and operational objectives. He engages with Ecogas' wide range of both internal and external stakeholders across the North Island including Auckland Council, Ministry for the Environment, Ministry for Primary Industries and  key commercial partners. 

Andy served in the NZ Army as an Infantry Officer for 10 years, holding various leadership roles in both a domestic and international setting. During his tenure in the military Andy deployed on operations with the New Zealand Army to the Middle East. Andy's career in the military focused on training and leadership development. 

Since leaving the military in 2019, Andy has been employed as a National Operations Manager in the construction sector, specifically insulation manufacturing. He oversaw the delivery and compliance of all central and local government contracts, managing up to 250 indirect reports at 13 local branches and the effective delivery of its day to day operations. 

Andy was also elected on to the Insulation Association of New Zealand Executive Board (IAONZ). He is focused on leveraging cross industry collaboration to best manage strategic outcomes benefitting our wider communities. Andy brings a wealth of practical and pragmatic leadership experience. He has a solid foundation in operational process and ensuring compliance within a wider governance framework. Andy is hardworking and passionate about what he does, he is relatable and easy to engage with.

​​Dave Bull, Director, Site Contamination Specialist - HAIL Environmental

Dave has been on the WasteMINZ Board the past two years – the only site contamination specialist ever to be elected. He has been a WasteMINZ member since 2006, and a regular conference speaker with hits including the 2019 keynote 'Ban Remediation'.


Dave is a director of site contamination specialist consultancy HAIL Environmental as well as land developer Maungateitei Development and climate change adaptation charity BOEE. He is a Certified Environmental Practitioner – Site Contamination, a chartered chemist, and a member of the Institute of Directors.


Dave loves soil, hates waste, and wants WasteMINZ to lead change for the better. Towards reuse of soil, options for organics, clarity on landfill levies, quality contaminated land management, and no municipal incineration.

​​Paul Evans, Chair - Localised

Paul is excited to stand for election. With two years on the board and seven years as Chief Executive of WasteMINZ, Paul has helped to drive significant progress in shaping the organisation's direction and influence.

During his tenure, he played an important role in building stronger relationships with key stakeholders and expanding the organisation's reach across Aotearoa. Since stepping down as Chief Executive, Paul has worked closely with government and industry as a governance professional.

As a chartered director, Paul currently serves on several boards, bringing his expertise in environmental sustainability to the forefront. His leadership as Chair of Localised has supported community-led resource recovery initiatives, such as the Onehunga Community Recycling Centre, a flagship project that has set a benchmark for local resource recovery efforts.

Paul deeply understands the importance of strong governance, recognising that it is vital to driving positive change. He is particularly passionate about advancing the waste management, resource recovery, and contaminated land sectors in Aotearoa, recognising the critical role these areas play in building a sustainable future for the country.

His proven track record of leadership, strategic insight, and collaborative approach, which values the input of all stakeholders, positions him as a valuable candidate, committed to driving meaningful progress and making a tangible difference within WasteMINZ and beyond

​​Parul Sood, Deputy Director Resilience & Infrastructure - Auckland Council

Parul is an experienced public service leader, with more than 20 years of experience in the waste sector and local government in New Zealand. She has a Master’s degree in Environmental Science, a Diploma in Environmental Law and is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors. 

Parul has extensive knowledge of local government processes and the legislative context they operate within. Her experience working in this sector has given her a deep understanding of the issues and opportunities that local governments face in working to achieve a zero waste, circular economy. 

In her recent appointment at Auckland Council, she is focussed on building resilience in the region and responding to the impacts of climate change. Her focus is on partnering with communities and organisations to build resilience, assessing current risks and vulnerabilities and future-proofing our infrastructure. Waste minimisation and management is a critical part of this. 

Parul has been actively involved in the WasteMINZ’s TAO Forum as board champion. The forum was established to create consistency and efficiency of service amongst territorial authorities by sharing knowledge and best practice. 

Parul says “I have been really fortunate to serve on the board as the Chair for the last year. We need to continue our efforts for the positive development of our sector. I am very grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the governance of WasteMINZ and if I am fortunate enough to be reappointed, look forward to continuing to champion WasteMINZ’s value as a catalyst to drive waste minimisation; with councils, the community sector and the private sector working together for the benefit of Aotearoa New Zealand.”

​​Rob Wilson, Operations Manager - EcoCentral

Rob is the Operations Manager for EcoCentral Limited, a Canterbury-based business operating three refuse transfer stations and resource recovery centres, a materials recovery facility (MRF), and the EcoShop resale shop. These facilities receive, process and divert waste for many residents and commercial operators in the region. EcoCentral’s MRF is the second largest semi-automated sorting plant in NZ and processing kerbside recycling for Christchurch City Council, Waimakariri District Council, Selwyn District Council and a number of other smaller councils in the Canterbury region.


Over the last 15+ years, Rob has been involved in residential kerbside collection contracts, commercial waste, earthquake construction and demolition processing and most recently transfer station and recycling plant operation.  Rob and EcoCentral have contributed to discussions on the changing landscape of the waste industry providing unbiased processing perspectives to the challenges presented by current approaches and practical suggestions on improvements. EcoCentral focusses its attention on finding ways to make dealing with unwanted products easy and promote avenues to avoid and reduce waste, reuse and recover unwanted products and contribute to a more circular approach in NZ.


Rob has been an active member of the WasteMINZ Product Stewardship Sector Group steering committee since 2020 and joined the Reuse Working Group and the Recycling and Resource Recovery Sector Group steering committee in 2023. 


Rob has considerable practical expertise in waste and resource management in civil defence and critical incidents. This has been developed from a previous career as an officer in the NZ Army and subsequently successfully managing waste during earthquake, severe weather and pandemic events and responses in Canterbury.


Rob has also been a member of the Institute of Directors since 2023, completing a number of courses, including the Company Directors Course in 2024.


Rob is confident that his experience with WasteMINZ's sector groups, an operator's perspective on waste issues and governance learning through the Institute of Directors will positively benefit the WasteMINZ Board and wider industry.

​​FAQs

Voting process

How many votes does my organisation get?

Each membership level is eligible for a different number of votes, which will be outlined in the email sent to your primary contact, with your organisation's voting papers. 


To learn about the different levels of membership and how many votes each membership level receives, go to our Membership Options page. 

When will I receive voting papers?

Voting papers will be sent out to the primary contact of all paid-up financial members of WasteMINZ on Wednesday, 18 September, 2024. You will have until Friday, 4 October 2024 to cast your vote.


If your organisation pays its membership invoice during the voting period, your organisation's primary contact will receive voting papers within a week of payment. 

Why haven't I received voting papers?

If you haven't received voting papers, it may be as a result of two things:

  • Your organisation might not have paid this financial year's invoice for membership, or
  • You aren't your organisation's primary contact. 

If you're in an organisation with a number of votes, you'll need to contact your primary contact to discuss your preferred candidate. If you want to know who your primary contact is or want further information about payment details, contact membership@wasteminz.org.nz. 
When will the Board members be announced?

The new Board members will be announced at the WasteMINZ AGM on Thursday, 18 October. Details for this are TBC. 

Nominating a Board candidate

Who can be nominated?

Anyone who is a paid-up financial member of WasteMINZ (i.e. anyone who has paid their 2024 membership invoice) can be nominated for the WasteMINZ Board. 


The only exception to this is for those who are under Student Memberships, as students are not eligible to be nominated for the Board. 


The Board election process is determined by the WasteMINZ Rules, as adopted 20 October 2020. 

I want to stand for the Board - what do I need to do?

That's great! Make friends with another member of WasteMINZ, who has also fully paid their membership invoice, and ask them to nominate you. 


You, or your nominator, will need to fill out an online nomination form (available from Thursday, 8 August, 2024), and have the following details handy:

  • The nominator details (including contact details, position and organisation)
  • The nominee details (including contact details, position and organisation)
  • Nominee bio and headshot. 

Your nominee bio should give WasteMINZ members a good understanding of who you are and why they should vote for you. 
What do Board nominees need to know?
Role of the Board: The role of the Board is to provide governance and strategic direction to WasteMINZ, monitor the organisation's performance, and protect the integrity of the organisation. You can read more about WasteMINZ's strategy here. 

Time commitment: We ask that any nominees consider the time commitment required to be an effective member of the Board. This will usually involve four Board meetings a year, as well as other WasteMINZ business which is conducted by email and video calls.

Overall, a minimum commitment of approximately one day every two months may be required. WasteMINZ Board members volunteer their time but are reimbursed for relevant expenses.


Board charter: The Board is guided by the Board Charter. Please read this if you are considering nomination – it provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the Board.







@ 2022 by WasteMINZ

Address

2/5 Orbit Drive, Rosedale,
Auckland 0632

Email

cj@wasteminz.org.nz

Media enquiries: leeana@wasteminz.org.nz

Phone

09 476 7162