Our speakers

Sara leads the implementation of the new planning and environmental management system.   She has deep experience working closely with local government in the implementation of government reforms. Sara has worked in the areas  of environmental law, policy, sustainability, relationship management, project management, government administration and implementation.   Her background includes technical experience in resource management, and climate change. She practiced as a lawyer and worked as a sustainability consultant before joining the New Zealand government in 2010.  

Sarah is a technology leader and solution architect with more than 25 years’ experience delivering digital products and software solutions. She specialises in bridging business needs and technology delivery, helping organisations turn complex requirements into practical, scalable systems. Sarah’s experience spans software architecture, product development, user experience design and technology strategy, with a background that includes software engineering, startup growth advisory and teaching information systems and software development at the University of Auckland. She currently leads technology development for one of Beca’s digital products, while continuing to focus on delivering effective solutions that create value for clients and end users.

Sarah Matthews is General Manager Organisation Performance at Taupō District Council, leading portfolios spanning finance, legal and governance, digital solutions, property and development, and business excellence. A Chartered Accountant and Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors, Sarah has led funding and rating functions across three councils and is an active contributor to the sector through the Taituarā Financial Management Reference Group. She previously served as a Future Director of LGFA and is currently completing a Master of Applied Artificial Intelligence, with a particular interest in governance, innovation, and the future of local government

Sarah McGuinness is the Founder of Revolutionaries of Wellbeing (ROW) and a specialist in sustainable performance, burnout prevention, and leadership. With more than two decades of experience advising organisations across New Zealand, Australia, and internationally, she works with senior leaders to navigate pressure, constant change, and the realities of modern work while maintaining the wellbeing and performance of their people.

Her work has supported organisations across multiple sectors during periods of significant change and demand, including the Christchurch earthquakes. She is currently completing a Master of Science (Psychology) at Massey University, with research exploring how senior doctors recover from burnout while continuing to work, and a Postgrad Certificate in Human Performance Leadership (AUT).

She holds an honours degree in psychology and a degree in communication, along with specialist training in professional coaching, adult education, and fitness. She also brings lived experience of burnout and is a strong advocate for improving conversations around mental health. She volunteers with Coastguard New Zealand in search and rescue and serves on the Coastguard Queenstown board, and has been featured in media including Stuff, NBR, RNZ, and Seven Sharp.

Sarah Scott is a specialist environmental lawyer based in Christchurch with extensive experience working with councils and private clients around New Zealand on policy development, resource consents and permits, and development projects.

Through her career Sarah has worked with a number of infrastructure clients, from ensuring consenting pathways remain available, to project strategy and obtaining consents and designations. Sarah has also been significantly involved in some of New Zealand’s biggest policy processes, including those located in Christchurch (following the earthquakes), Queenstown and Otago.

Sarah is the Finance and Revenue Manager at Tararua District Council. A Chartered Accountant, she brings over a decade of experience in local government across diverse accounting roles, complemented by a background in private practice. She plays a key role in long-term planning and reporting, with a strong focus on delivering practical, achievable outcomes for the community. Sarah is passionate about community voice, future-focused planning and robust performance frameworks. She sees the Long Term Plan as a clear promise to the community and is driven to ensure it is both credible and deliverable. Collaborative and pragmatic, Sarah is committed to helping shape a sustainable future for Tararua.

He mokopuna au o Te Waipounamu, ko Tangata Tiriti ahau. E noho ana au ki te Wairarapa īnaianei. 

My current work is focused on supporting councils to understand and take action on their Te Tiriti o Waitangi responsibilities. This mahi is built on a platform of experience working across Treaty settlement negotiations, local government Te Tiriti partnerships, systems and policy development, as well as central government Te Tiriti partnership management. My passion for supporting improvement in the exercise of kāwanatanga and upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi has also extending into academic areas, and I hold a Masters in Māori Studies.  

I’m an unashamed fan of the impact and potential of local government with over a decade of experience working across a wide range of councils across the motu. This experience has also shown me the significant challenges facing councils, and the humble and dedicated efforts of kaimahi across the sector to address these challenges on behalf of their communities.  

I’m really pleased to be able to partner with Taituarā on this programme to support local government Te Tiriti practice that is specific to the challenges, opportunities and aspirations currently facing local government. It’s also a time of great disruption in this space – and how councils navigate changes in their governing and legislative arrangements while upholding and growing their relationships with mana whenua really matters.  

I live in eastern Wairarapa with my husband and badly behaved dog. We spend our time gardening, growing excessive amounts of fruit and vegetables (there’s a chance workshops held in harvest months will be beneficiaries of this mahi), and a long-term wetland restoration project.  

Shamubeel Eaqub is an influential economist who makes the complexities of economics both easy and engaging. Currently, he serves as the Chief Economist at Simplicity, bringing over two decades of experience.

His career has seen him contribute his expertise at leading institutions, including ANZ Bank, Goldman Sachs JBWere, NZIER, Sense Partners, and now Simplicity.

Sharon Lesa is currently working as an Asset Management Engineer at Beca. She is a former Senior Asset Planning Engineer at the Waipā District Council and Asset Management and Wastewater Engineer for the Samoa Water Authority, where she worked for five years on various roles ranging from planning, design, operations and finally to asset management. A chemical engineer by trade from the University of Sydney, she enjoys using her knowledge and skills to transform plans into practical solutions.

Simon Markham is Managing Director of Simon Markham Consulting Ltd and a senior public policy, local government, and disaster recovery advisor.

He has worked across New Zealand local government for more than three decades, including senior executive roles with city and district Councils.

He has advised councils, CDEM Groups, government and NGO sector organisations on emergency management reform, recovery governance, spatial planning, RMA reform, engagement, and strategic change.

Simon’s work has been recognised through a Civil Defence Emergency Management Ministerial Gold Award and multiple planning and local government excellence awards.

He is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors, a Life Member of Taituarā — Local Government Professionals Aotearoa, and serves in governance roles with for-purpose organisations including The Kind Foundation in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Stacey Young is the Chief Information Officer at Marlborough District Council, where she leads the council’s digital, information and technology strategy. Stacey is focused on enabling better outcomes for council staff, elected members and the community through practical digital transformation, trusted information management and modern service delivery. Her work includes improving how council data is accessed, governed and used to support operational performance, regulatory responsibilities, infrastructure planning and customer services. Stacey brings a council leadership perspective on the opportunities and challenges of connecting information across systems and creating a more intelligence-led organisation.

Stephen is a representation review advisor with electionz.com and worked with more than a dozen councils across Aotearoa during the last review cycle.

He’s spent most of the past 30 years in local government, primarily in communications and engagement, customer service and governance leadership roles at Hamilton City, Environment Canterbury, Christchurch City and Selwyn District. He is a Fellow of the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand.

Alongside his advisory and consulting work Stephen is currently on a secondment as General Manager Governance at Environment Canterbury.

Steve had a 24-year career in a variety of roles at the former Auckland City Council. He was the Democracy Services Manager when he left in 2006.

Steve then he has been consulting primarily in the local government sector. He currently works with national and regional sporting organisations through Sport New Zealand on good governance practices.

Steve is currently a member of the board of a not-for-profit organisation.

Steve holds a diploma in Local Government and Administration from Auckland University and is a Justice of the Peace.

Tania leads client engagement across Beca Digital, working with organisations to unlock greater value from their data, systems and digital investments. She partners with local and central government clients to identify practical opportunities where digital twins, trusted data foundations and AI-enabled solutions can improve decision-making, service delivery and long-term planning. Tania is passionate about helping councils bridge the gap between data collection and actionable insight, enabling better outcomes for communities.

Tim has lived experience of the challenges associated with recovery from trauma and understands the opportunities for personal growth.

His journey has taught him how interconnected all elements of wellbeing are and how positive wellbeing takes daily practice.

Tracey has been in local government since 2012 in district and regional councils. Her roles have included economic development coordinator, governance/democracy advisor, project manager, mayoral candidate, and she is currently Strategic Planning Advisor and Civil Defence Local Recovery Manager at Kaipara District Council.

Her drive is to ensure our ‘system’ works for the people. A ‘strategic activator’ and collaborator, she streamlines and simplifies processes ensuring community needs and aspirations move meaningfully and appropriately through local government. Before 2012, she was a finance and marketing director in the building sector, and had her own management consultancy in UK prior to that.