Water Stewardship Oversight Group

Fraser McKenzie, Ex-Officio Member

Fraser’s passion is anything rural. Having graduated from Lincoln College with a Bachelor of Agricultural Commerce  majoring in Valuation and Farm Management, backed up with a Bachelor of Commerce from Canterbury University, he has been working as a farm accountant since 1986.

He is a director of McKenzie & Co. Ltd, Chartered Accountants and The Family Farm Consulting Company Ltd, a registered member of the NZIPM and is currently the Independent Chairman of Waitaki Irrigators Collective Ltd.

Fraser believes that the Waitaki River and associated catchments are central to our community and that they deliver economic, social and cultural well-being to a wide and diverse range of stakeholders.

Rhys Hamilton, Chair

Rhys, together with his wife Emily and their four children, are dairy farmers in the Awamoko catchment of the Waitaki River.

Rhys completed a Bachelor of Agriculture at Lincoln before converting a 550ha property to dairy and dairy support in Omakau, Central Otago.  The sale of this property allowed for a move back to Brookstead Ltd in the Waitaki valley where they currently milk 1000 cows on 300ha.

Rhys sees value in having a collaborative approach to water management through the involvement of all interested parties.  Rhys sees the role of WIC’s Water Stewardship Group as bringing together those people who value the water in the Waitaki Valley and appreciate its importance to the wider community, and as building relationships whilst improving water outcomes of all kinds.

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Elsa du Toit, Project Support

Elsa graduated from the University of Pretoria in South Africa with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Botany and Zoology and obtained a Masters Degree in Business Administration from said University. Elsa also has a PhD in Energy and Sustainability from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Elsa and her husband Ferdie became NZ citizens in December 2020 and reside in Oamaru Central. Before accepting the role at WIC she worked at the Waitomo District Council as the Regulatory and Environmental Services Leader and at Network Waitaki as a Project Manager.

Elsa currently works part time as the Health, Safety, Wellbeing and Environment Facilitator for a Dairy Farming Cooperative with 5 dairy sheds and a runoff block. She thoroughly enjoys the work on farm and assists the sharemilkers with Farm Environment Plans, applying for funding for riparian planting, water quality monitoring and the daily recording of all the different aspects of dairy farming.

Elsa provides project support assistance to WIC as and when required.

Elsa’s interests include singing, dancing, birding and trying to be environmentally friendly.