Waste Advisory Board

The Minister for the Environment is seeking nominations for the Waste Advisory Board. Information of how to apply can you found here: Call for nominations for Waste Advisory Board members 2026.

The Waste Advisory Board is established under Part 7 of the Waste Minimisation Act.

The board provides the Minister for the Environment with waste minimisation advice upon request.

The Waste Minimisation Act states that the Minister must request the board’s advice on:

• declaring a product to be a ‘priority product’ under the Act (which requires it to have a product stewardship scheme)
• making guidelines about the contents and expected effects of product stewardship schemes for priority products
• accrediting a product stewardship scheme that is not consistent with published guidelines
• recommending the making of regulations prohibiting the sale of a priority product except in accordance with an accredited scheme
• recommending the making of regulations on products, materials and waste
• setting or modifying criteria for approving funding of a project from waste disposal levy funds
• reviewing the effectiveness of the waste disposal levy
• recommending the making of regulations on the imposition or rate of the waste disposal levy
• recommending the making of regulations on records, information and reports.

The Minister for the Environment may also request the board's advice on wider waste minimisation matters.

The board provides advice within the terms of reference set by the Minister for the Environment. The board is supported by a secretariat based at the Ministry for the Environment.

• Waste Advisory Board's Terms of Reference [PDF, 2.7 MB].

Waste Advisory Board members

The current members appointed to the Board and their terms of appointment are:

All members were appointed to the board by Cabinet following a public call for nominations. Members have been selected for their knowledge, skills and experience on the Waste Minimisation Act, community waste minimisation projects, business/industry (including the commercial waste industry), local government, and tikanga Māori.

Board members serve for three years, unless a shorter term is stated in his or her notice of appointment.

Darren Patterson (Chair)

Darren is the current Board Chair and has been on the Board for six years. He has more than 25 years of experience in industry, local and central government, community projects and knowledge of matters likely to come before the Board. He also has knowledge of carbon analysis and emissions reduction. Darren holds the role of Programme Development Lead – Sustainability Assurance at AsureQuality. He has significant Board experience including 12 years on the WasteMINZ Board, 8 years with the Sustainable Initiative Fund Trust, was a Board member of the Agrecovery Foundation and a Director for several private companies.

Don Chittock

Don brings a wide range of industry experience and has led some of the more technical pieces of the Board’s work. Currently serving as the New Zealand Quarries Environment and Sustainability Manager at Fulton Hogan, Don has construction sector experience providing environmental management support to quarries and clean-fill operations. He has previously worked for Environment Canterbury where he managed strategic work programmes on waste and hazardous substances, and contaminated land and pollution prevention.

David Howie

David Howie is the General Manager of the Lower North Island for Waste Management. He is also a Director for Waste Management NZ Ltd and Midwest Disposal Ltd. His commercial waste industry experience is a great fit for the Board and would fulfil a need for more industry experience.

Michelle Kazor

Michelle is a strategic leader and advisor with over 20 years of experience in waste, resource efficiency, and climate policy. She has worked across government, corporate, and non-profit sectors in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States, bringing a unique blend of commercial acumen and public policy expertise. Michelle has held senior leadership and governance roles, currently as Director of Versity Limited and as a Board Member for the Trust for the Destruction of Synthetic Refrigerants, a Product Stewardship Organisation. She is recognised for her ability to navigate complex regulatory environments and drive meaningful policy outcomes.

Dr Terri-Ann Berry

Dr Berry is an Associate Professor within the School of Future Environments at Auckland University of Technology and the founder and Co-Director of the Environmental Innovation Centre, a private research institute focused on improving sustainability outcomes, especially in the construction industry. Her main fields of interest include: asbestos bioremediation, awareness and management, waste minimisation in the construction and demolition industries (with an emphasis on plastic waste from construction sites) and the impact of mechanical ventilation on indoor air quality including moulds in residential homes.

Barney Irvine

Barney is the Managing Director of Irvine and Partners Ltd which provides consultancy services to a range of clients. He is also the Executive Director of the Waste Recycling Industry Association, an industry association representing the principal private-sector players in waste collection, recycling and landfill operation in New Zealand. Prior to this he was a member of the Plastic Packaging Product Stewardship Steering Group. He has previous experience working in central government as an International Affairs Analyst at the Government Communications Security Bureau.

Chris Grant

Chris is the Managing Director and owner of 5R Solutions since 2009. 5R Solutions recovers, processes and recycles glass and have successfully diverted 475 thousand tonnes of glass from landfill. Chris manages all aspects of product development and markets for flat glass, resource management for plaster board recover, customer waste reduction programme development and works with local councils from an environmental and waste diversion level. Chris is also the Glass Packaging Forum Steer Co-Chair and has been a Board Member of the Packaging Forum since 2024. This governance experience provides him with a good understanding of Board member responsibilities.