Water New Zealand Stormwater Conference 2010

Keynote Speakers

B E (Hons), M Com (Hons), B Sc, MIPENZ
Gary Williams is a consulting engineer in the field of water and soil engineering. He has over 30 years of experience in all aspect of catchment and river management, from comprehensive investigations to final design and construction supervision. This includes a wide range of water and soil investigations, covering hydrology and hydraulics, sedimentation and gravel resources, hazard assessments and flood warning, water allocation and supply, water deficits and quality, land uses and soil conservation, coastal processes, lakes and wetlands.

He provides specialist advisory and design services to many different clients throughout NZ on river management, and has worked on major projects on many rivers in NZ. His work on bridge waterways and infrastructure protection covers many different services and protection measures. His experience in soil moisture management, irrigation and drainage, covers all water and soil aspects, from feasibility investigations to on-farm and off-farm construction. He has undertaken economic evaluations of many different water and soil projects, and provided advise on policies, asset and risk management to local and central government authorities.

Bill Bayfield began a career in resource management in local government in Taranaki on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand in 1980. In 2002 he took up a position in central government for the Ministry for the Environment as Group Leader in charge of Sustainable Industry and Climate Change. In 2006 he left Wellington to take up the challenge of Chief Executive Officer at Environment Bay of Plenty returning to local government but on the opposite coast.

The Bay of Plenty is the fastest growing region in New Zealand and contains in the Rotorua Lakes one of the country’s most challenging water quality issues. Bill is involved in promoting climate change adaptation at the national level and has worked on national flood management policy. Currently he is working on the challenges facing Tauranga Harbour (using methods such as catchment plans, whole-of-catchment stormwater consents and mechanical mangrove removal). Water allocation and the sustainability of flooding defence infrastructure are among the many other challenges that are part of actively promoting sustainable development on many fronts in the Bay of Plenty.