Waste Investment Panel

The Waste Investment Panel plays a key role in the assessment process for both the Waste Minimisation Fund and the Plastics Innovation Fund.

About the Waste Investment Panel

The Waste Investment Panel provides:

  • strategic assessment for large applications to both funds
  • recommendations to the Ministry.

Typically the panel considers applications requesting funding of $1 million or more. It may also be asked to consider complex or higher-risk applications below that threshold.

The Chair and members of the panel are:

Dave Brash (Chair)

Dave is a professional director with significant governance roles including Chair of the Ministerial Advisory Group for Jobs for Nature and Chair of Let’s Get Wellington Moving. He also chaired the Technical Advisory Group for the Ministry’s proposed Container Return Scheme. Dave has extensive experience in public investment and in government through roles in DPMC, NZTA, Treasury and Ministry for the Environment.

David Tikao

David is the Investment Manager Endowments at Ngāi Tahu Holdings and a former Executive Director of operations at Whai Rawa Fund Limited.

He commenced working for Te Rūnanga Group in October 2011. Prior to joining Whai Rawa, David worked in the finance and banking sectors in London for 20 years, holding positions within RBS/NatWest and HSBC Banks prior to his return to Aotearoa New Zealand.

Since 2012 David has been a Director of Te Poho o Tamatea Ltd, a holdings company of Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke (Rūnanga) and is a former Trustee and Treasurer of Rāpaki Marae.

David is a member of the Leadership Group at Toitū Tahua: Centre for Sustainable Finance. In 2015 David graduated from Massey University with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and is a PhD. Student at the University of Canterbury.

John Rae

John has an extensive range of governance roles including as a director of Bremworth Ltd, a listed company, and Chair of Ngapuhi Holdings.

John was a foundation member of the Provincial Growth Fund panel and was Chair of Smart Environmental, a major player in the waste and resource recovery sector, for over 10 years.

He was a member of Crown Regional Holdings Ltd (a Schedule 4A asset holding company for loan, equity and asset investments managed by Kānoa) and was founding member and Chair of the National Infrastructure Advisory Board.

John has over 20 years’ experience of working with a wide range of Māori organisations, and 30 years in investment and corporate finance.

June McCabe

June, who is a chartered member of the Institute of Directors and holds an MBA, has more than 25 years’ experience in governance roles across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

After an extensive career in banking and finance, following many years in the public service, June has held a wide range of governance roles.

Current directorships include Devon Funds Management and Chairman of the asset holding company of one of her iwi. Previous relevant roles include founding director of the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund; and consultancy roles in developing investment strategy, and providing business planning and general management expertise. She also has had previous experience with the Waste Minimisation Fund. 

June has iwi affiliations with Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, Ngati Kaharau and Ngāti Kahu.

Lucy Griffiths

Lucy is the Chair of the Independent Advisory Panel for MPI’s Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures funding programme. Lucy is a member of the Institute of Directors and serves on other boards, including Great South (Southland Regional Development Agency), Trust House and the Masterton Community Trust.

Based in the Wairarapa, Lucy is the owner of Innov8 Aotearoa, a company formed to assist New Zealand agri-food companies to market their products strategically with a focus on export development. Originally from Southland farming roots, Lucy has travelled the world as a Nuffield New Zealand scholar and as part of Food and Agribusiness Market Experience (FAME).

Paul Evans

Paul is a chartered professional director; his governance roles include independent director of BioGro New Zealand and independent chair of Localised, a social enterprise operating in the resource recovery sector.

Paul is also a current board member of WasteMINZ, the largest representative body of Aotearoa New Zealand's waste, resource recovery and contaminated land sectors, and was previously Chief Executive.

Paul’s experience also includes infrastructure development, through his several years leading the Association of Consulting Engineers (ACE) New Zealand, and extensive experience of funding programmes as an applicant.