10:30am – 12:00pm
SHAPING STORMWATER SOLUTIONS: YOUR VIEW ON THE WATER SERVICE AUTHORITY’S STORMWATER OVERSITE ROLE
Stephanie Dijkstra
Stephanie is a mātauranga practitioner specialising in environmental outcomes and integration with western science. She is particularly interested in how matāuranga can be incorporated into stormwater management, having cowritten Stormwater Management Plans for Christchurch City Council and provided cultural input into the development of stormwater treatment facilities. She is also a member of the Te Mana o te Wai Water NZ subgroup, informing industry on the integration and implementation of this key piece of legislation.
Janelle Eagleton
Janelle is an experienced policy practitioner who has been working on wastewater and stormwater policy since 2024. She has a diverse policy background spanning biosecurity, local government, health and digital portfolios. Janelle is from Ireland originally and holds a Masters in Law from Trinity College Dublin. Janelle now manages the Water Service Authority’s wastewater and stormwater policy team, which is led development of the recently enacted wastewater environmental performance standards. The team is in the early stages of work to develop the Authority’s stormwater work programme.
Isobel Oldfield
Isobel is an environmental scientist and policy professional. She started her career as an environmental consultant and then moved into Central Government Policy to work on the Essential Freshwater package. Isobel joined The Water Services Authority -Taumata Arowai in 2021 and previously managed the Wastewater and Stormwater Policy Team. She is now the Project Lead for the National Engineering Design Standards. Isobel is motivated by policy work that will determine the way New Zealand manages environmental challenges now and into the future.
1:00pm – 2:30pm
STORMWATER NETWORK RISK MANAGEMENT PLANS: LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS AND PRACTICAL METHODOLOGIES
Andrew Chin
Andrew Chin is a Fellow of Engineering New Zealand with over 20 years’ experience in environmental and water infrastructure. As Head of Healthy Waters Strategic Initiatives at Auckland Council, he plays a key role in delivering long‑term water outcomes for Tāmaki Makaurau.
Janet Kidd
Janet Kidd is a water and environmental professional with over 25 years’ experience. She currently manages Wai Ora strategic water programs at Auckland Council. Her expertise spans policy, stormwater, wastewater, sustainability, and water-sensitive design.
Craig McIlroy
With over 35 years of experience in local government and the water sector in Aotearoa New Zealand, Craig McIlroy is a highly respected executive leader known for transforming water services to deliver outstanding economic, environmental, social and cultural outcomes.
Craig is the Head Coach of the Healthy Waters & Flood Resilience Team at Auckland Council. He is totally committed to a whole-of team approach that is outcome focused and supports the individual strengths of team members. Craig continues to drive innovation and collaboration across all aspects of the business and champions best-practice asset management. His leadership has been instrumental in initiatives such as the award-winning SafeSwim water quality tool, reflecting his commitment to equity, sustainability, and partnership with Iwi/Māori and communities.
Craig’s visionary approach continues to shape the future of water infrastructure, empowering the next generation of sector leaders and setting benchmarks for excellence in public service.
3:30pm – 5:00pm
LIVING WITH WATER: MANAGING BAKED-IN FLOOD RISK IN ESTABLISHED SETTLEMENTS
Nancy Baines
Nancy is a Principal for Flood Risk at Healthy Waters & Flood Resilience, where she co-leads the Community Flood Resilience initiative within Auckland Council’s Making Space for Water program.
With a Master’s in Earth and Environmental Science, Nancy brings experience in flood risk management, emergency planning, and community engagement in both the UK and New Zealand to her role. Her primary goal is to ensure that the public has access to clear and actionable flood risk information, empowering people to make informed decisions and build resilience for flood hazards.
Belinda Storey
Belinda Storey is Managing Director of Climate Sigma, where her research focuses on the impacts of extreme climate events on infrastructure, real estate, banking, and insurance. In 2017, she coined the term “insurance retreat”, now widely used in national and international climate risk discourse and pioneered the “climate leases” model for valuing property under climate change.
Belinda completed her PhD in Economics in 2025. She is a Director of the State‑Owned Enterprise AsureQuality and previously served on the board of Pamū/Landcorp. She advises government agencies including the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the Climate Change Commission, and has contributed to Ministry for the Environment and External Reporting Board expert groups on climate adaptation and disclosure.
She was named Wellingtonian of the Year for Science and Technology in 2022
Nick Vigar
Nick leads the Network Planning function, with a primary focus to develop sustainable, safe, and resilient water infrastructure for Auckland. The team is responsible for the long-term strategic planning, modelling, and management of Auckland’s stormwater network.
Nick has over 14 years’ experience with Auckland Council and has a background in stormwater quality and hydrology management, including integrated planning in combined drainage areas for public health outcomes. Current interests include managing the cumulative impacts of growth in urbanised areas. Nick was also the SafeSwim Programme Manager, an award-winning and internationally recognised website, providing real-time online information on water quality and safety hazards.
