Coastal and fluvial scientist - Justin Cope
Background
Justin started working at Environment Canterbury in 1996 as Coastal and Fluvial Resources Officer, after completing an MSc in Geography and a Postgraduate Diploma in Natural Resources. Justin had some database work experience at Environment Canterbury as a student, liked the feel of the place and thought it would be a good place to work.
What is a typical day?
There is no such thing as a typical day in this job! Justin may spend several weeks working on a technical report or evidence for the Environment Court, other days commenting on technical aspects of resource consents or planning applications, or talking to geography students at schools and universities. On an ad hoc basis Justin will go out in the field and collect environmental data on coastal processes. He is also involved in project partnerships with other research agencies.
What is the best thing about working at Environment Canterbury?
Justin loves the fact that no day is the same. Justin also enjoys the job because he is genuinely interested in the data and feels the job is worthwhile. He says it is fulfilling to see that the information he collects is used by other people to make decisions (like whether or not to buy a house etc.). Justin also enjoys the social side at Environment Canterbury, he is a member of the Social Club Committee and organizes the staff touch rugby team.
How do you see your career progressing?
Management of a team is an option for the future, but Justin is enjoying the diversity of his current role for now. He manages one other staff member and is happy with the way this job is developing for the foreseeable future.
Graduate resource management planner - Luisa Magalhaes
Background
Luisa moved to New Zealand in 1990 and worked for eight years for the United States Antarctic Programme. She enjoyed this job but left because of constant restructuring. She decided to go back to university and completed a B.Sc. in Resource Studies on Environmental Policy and Management.
Luisa joined Environment Canterbury as an Advisory Officer in 2003, then moved to a Consents Investigating Officer (I) role in 2004. She successfully applied for the role of Resource Management Planner (Graduate) and started this role in July 2005.
Why did you join Environment Canterbury?
Luisa joined Environment Canterbury because she wanted to deal with regional-level issues – she prefers the broader picture and the work is relevant to her degree. The customer services role was ideal to enable her to gain an in-depth, but broader view. She wanted to keep her options open for the future and this role allowed for broader choices.
First impressions of Environment Canterbury?
Luisa likes the fact Environment Canterbury is a big organization – big enough to be interesting, have resources and great facilities, but not so big that its impersonal.
“I particularly like the people who work here – they all have an interest in the environment”.
Luisa also likes knowing the issues from the inside – when Environment Canterbury is reported negatively in The Press, Luisa knows better and knows that Environment Canterbury is doing good work. She feels proud to work here and be part of this organization. Luisa is impressed with the way Environment Canterbury functions, particularly considering the size of the area covered and the variety of responsibilities Environment Canterbury has within this area. Environment Canterbury represents twenty-five percent of NZ (in area).
What is a typical day?
In the role of Consents IO a typical day is mostly spent processing consents. However, on occasion, consents staff go out in the field. Recently, Luisa went out with a party of staff to decide on a process suitable for fish screens, what is and what is not suitable and how this can be monitored. All different positions in the cycle were there, those who create the process, monitor, enforce etc. This was a good process involving input from all areas.
How do you see your career progressing?
Luisa has recently started her new role in the Planning section. She is thrilled to have been successful in applying for this role, as working in Planning was her ultimate goal when she joined Environment Canterbury . She is sure this role will keep her challenged and motivated for the long-term.
Luisa is currently studying for a Masters in Environmental Management. Environment Canterbury gives Luisa some paid study time each week and pays 50% of her fees.
Luisa likes the huge range of issues Environment Canterbury deals with and the variety of jobs within Environment Canterbury – “there are infinite career prospects”.
Manager secretariat - Jude Pani
Background
Jude joined Environment Canterbury December 2004. Previously she had worked at the Christchurch City Council for fourteen years, most recently as Community Advocate for Hagley Ferrymead. She was the principal advisor to the Community Board and led the public participation process and community engagement with a team of eight staff. Before this, she had worked in the Corporate Office. Her academic background is in Management and Administration.
Why did you join Environment Canterbury?
Jude wanted to remain in Christchurch and continue working within local government, and this role at Environment Canterbury (ECan) really appealed to her in terms of the responsibilities and the match with her previous experience. This type of job does not come up very often and this is the area she wanted to be working in.
First impressions of Environment Canterbury?
The first thing that struck Jude was how nice the people are to work with. The day-to-day working relationships are enjoyable and this is very important to her.
“I really like the culture at ECan – by this I mean the philosophical foundation and values, what drives people - there is a real sense that people are here because they believe in what they are doing, its not just a job, it’s a profession, almost a calling”.
Jude really likes the fact that everyone is in support of the whole sustainability element. She also appreciates the great facilities, such as the gym and café where the lattes are pretty good. She believes the café is a valuable resource for informal communication. She also enjoys working with the Councillors, who on the whole, she believes are very capable.
What is a typical day?
Jude has found some routine in the role, but this is mostly concerning the monthly council and committee meeting cycle. There is also a strong administrative focus to the role. As well as giving support and advice to elected members and supporting the Canterbury mayoral forum, Jude is responsible for official information requests and is the Privacy Officer. Other than the council meeting cycle, a typical day depends on projects and priorities that arise.
How do you see your career progressing?
Jude can see many opportunities and challenges in this role. She will continue to look for ways to improve and make constructive changes. Longer term, Jude may move to the North Island with her whanau.
Pollution hotline officer - Jackie Jones
Twenty-four-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, a specialist team at Environment Canterbury is ready to respond to pollution incidents anywhere in Canterbury. Through the 24-hour Pollution Hotline, people can ring-in if they see or know of any accident or event which is creating pollution – of air, waterways or land.
For the enforcement team members at the end of the phone, life can be unpredictable. The next call, perhaps in the middle of the night, could signal a major incident. “When the call comes we are never sure where it’s going to lead to,’’ says enforcement administrator Jackie Jones. Sometimes the incident may end up as a court case, so it is important that staff follow strict procedures.
In other instances, all that may be needed is a little education and some helpful advice. The hotline averages about 65 calls a week. A serious event could be a milk tanker overturning and spilling milk into a creek, or, as happened recently, a house that was being shifted on the road clipped an electricity transformer, which had the potential to pollute the groundwater and stormwater with toxic oils.
Often calls about bigger events come directly from the police or emergency services. The hotline receives calls about activities both legal and illegal [with no resource consent], including irrigation and wells in rural areas and spray painting, sandblasting and smoke from industrial and home chimneys in towns. The dumping of rubbish and vehicles in riverbeds is an increasing problem.
Many calls are about things like smoky chimneys or someone tipping paint or toxic substances into the stormwater system. “We can get embroiled in neighbour disputes,’’ Jackie Jones says. “I’d love people to talk to their neighbours first.’’ However, if people are going to ring the hotline her advice is ring straight away, and not in a couple of weeks. “The quicker the call to the hotline, the more chance there is to get to the source of the problem.’’
While a get-tough approach is necessary sometimes, a lot of the Pollution Hotline team’s work is in education and resolving disputes. “For example, a lot of people don’t realise that what goes into the stormwater system will likely end up in the river,’’ Jackie says. The pollution hotline response is just one aspect of Environment Canterbury’s enforcement team’s responsibility.
If you need to call the Pollution Hotline [24 hours]:
[03] 366-4663 for Christchurch residents
0800 76 55 88 for residents outside of Christchurch
Senior policy analyst - Andrew Willis
Background
Andrew has a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology and an MSc in Resource Management (Policy and Planning). After leaving university in 1995, he worked in the resource management field for two consultancies in Christchurch, before working for a local authority in the UK. Upon returning to New Zealand he joined the Christchurch City Council (CCC), working initially on general planning policy issues, then specifically on central city revitalisation issues and initiatives for four years, before joining Environment Canterbury in 2005.
Andrew says he much prefers working for Councils compared to consultancies, as there is more emphasis on the quality of outcomes and processes and making the right decisions for the right reasons – with consultancies, the focus seems to be more on the needs and wants of the client.
Why did you join Environment Canterbury?
Andrew wanted to broaden his work experience into regional policy issues. The job at Environment Canterbury is a good job that came along at a good time. Andrew enjoyed his four years at the CCC, but wanted a career change and to open doors to other career possibilities.
First impressions of Environment Canterbury?
Andrew’s first impressions of Environment Canterbury (ECan) are that it is well organized with a good orientation process and great facilities. The work environment is very positive, “people seem to be enthusiastic about their jobs and the organisation going forward”.
Also, the focus is on long-term goals. “ECan appears to be proactive and goal directed rather than reactive.”
What is a typical day?
At this stage, Andrew has five key projects on the go. He generally spends his day researching the relevant issues and assessing the likely outcomes of various policy interventions against Environment Canterbury’s organisational policies and Plans. Depending on what stage of the project he is at, he may also be leading the implementation process to achieve the identified desired outcomes.
How do you see your career progressing?
Andrew usually has a three-to-five-year career plan and took this position at Environment Canterbury to gain some solid experience in regional policy issues – he thinks there is enough scope in this role to gain useful experience over the next few years.