Te Uru Kahika, the partnership of New Zealand's 16 regional and unitary councils, is pleased to announce the appointment of Iain Maxwell as its new Executive Director from 3 February 2025.

Mr Maxwell is a respected leader with 30 years dedicated to natural resource management.

He prepares to take up the role at a time when regional and unitary councils are working to address some of New Zealand’s most pressing challenges.

Regional Chief Executive Officers’ Group Convenor Michael McCartney expressed confidence in Mr Maxwell’s appointment.

“Iain brings a deep understanding of regional government, particularly his background in integrated catchment management, policy development, and collaboration to deliver programmes at both a local and national scale.

“His skill in fostering high-performing teams, environmental science expertise, and his strong networks will be invaluable as Te Uru Kahika works to tackle priorities that impact all regions, such as preparing for climate change and freshwater management,” said Mr McCartney.

Te Uru Kahika brings together a diverse network of scientists, engineers, planners, and specialists to share expertise and strengthen local solutions. This network model empowers councils to address shared opportunities.

Speaking in response to the announcement, Mr Maxwell said he will continue to be a champion for the active Te Uru Kahika Special Interest Group (SIG) network. There are around 30 SIGs spanning key areas of regional and unitary council work. Iain has direct SIG network experience, including as a founding member of the Freshwater Implementation Directors and more recently as the Bio-Managers SIG Convenor.

“I am excited and humbled to work on behalf of the sector’s leadership to achieve its ambitions,” Mr Maxwell said, “Coming together through Te Uru Kahika has been a significant step forward in how we function, and we have enormous potential to do more through our strong, unified voice.

“The work regional government does is enabling and highly valued by communities. I’m looking forward to raising the profile and relevance of the sector by sharing more of our good stories.

“As councils are delivering more within tight fiscal constraints, combined effort through Te Uru Kahika is a key part of how we can continue to provide for our communities.

“Our work plan is large and ambitious, and we’ll need to focus on key priorities to achieve meaningful outcomes. Fortunately, we have talented individuals across the country who we can draw on to deliver real results.

“Together, we have an opportunity to strengthen how we serve communities and to share the positive impact regional councils make across New Zealand,” said Mr Maxwell.

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