Post in Introductions

2007 Aug 13 12:42 UTC

Hello everyone,

My name is Bob Kirk and I have been a Councillor at ECAN for almost one term
from October 2004. My constituency is Christchurch South and I share that with
Sir Kerry Burke, Chair of ECAN. Thank you for the opportunity to be a Guest
Speaker for the week 14-21 August.

At ECAN I am Chair of the Coastal and Navigation Safety Portfolio Committee, a
member of the Water Portfolio Committee, the CEO Performance Review, and I
served on the Representation Review Committee. In September 2006 I was elected
Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee, a role vacated by Nicky Wagner. I am
an RMA Qualified Hearing Commissioner.

Sytarting in October last and running right through into 2008 I have been a
member of the Hearing Panel listening to submissions and making decisions about
the "water chapters" of the Proposed Natural Resources Regional Plan (PNRRP).
Because that work is in progress I will not discuss matters being addressed by
submitters in those hearings.

I am Emeritus Professor of Geography at the University of Canterbury. I am a
Physical Geographer intersted in the processes that form and shape the land.
Human actions of many kinds are among the largest influences. I was 35 years on
staff and had a strong research group working with coastal processes, harbours,
estuaries and lakes all over New Zealand and in other countries. I published
many scientific papers on the 800km of distinctive Canterbury Coast and I wrote
a few less than 150 Technical Reports on shoreline management matters. As well
as developing knowledge of coastal and lake resources I taught and advised in
coastal and lake management throughout New Zealand. I was often before the
courts as a technical witness or adviser. Many of my former students are
environmemntal and resource management professonals in NZ and overseas. I
served a term and a half as a Head of Depatment. For the last 6 years I served
in the executive of the university, initially to support development of
research by staff and students. I was then appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor and
worked with two Vice Chancellors in that role. I served as Acting Vice
Chancellor for 6 months. As a member of the University Council in addition to
my management experience I also had governance experience and am keenly aware
of the different requirements of these roles.  As well as its teaching and
research roles the university is run in a business-like manner; very big
business. Its budget then was of the order of $180 million per year and it has
thousands of staff and students. I was heavily involved in the Financial
Recovery Plan and the Restructuring of the university into colleges. I
therefore have experience of running large, publicly funded, complex
people-focussed institutions.

To ECAN I bring my wide knowledge of Canterbury resources and their management,
understanding of science in the environment and its limits; governance and
management experience, plus a fair amount of experience and a qualification in
Resource Management Act matters.

My wife, Judy, is a specialist in diagnosis and treatment of learning
difficulties. She is standing for election to the Riccarton-Wigram Comunity
Board. We have three adult offspring and one grandchild.

My subject post will concern funding, finance and rates in regard to ECAN since
these matters have been subject of fairly loose, negative comment in this
forum.

Bob Kirk