Both Zabeel and Toroa are students at Buller High School. Zabeel is head student for 2025. Both are actively engaged in community life, with strong generational ties to the Coast. They were part of the Westport Master Planning Design Week workshops and have presented to elected members as youth representatives.

Jamie has been Mayor of Buller District since 2019. He has significant experience leading communities through emergencies including three flood events during 2021-22. He has a strong understanding of the complex adaptation challenges facing communities and the need for a collaborative, long term, strategic planning approach, in partnership with government.

David is a founding Director of Isthmus and Fellow of the NZILA with thirty-five years’ experience in landscape architecture and urban design. His experience encompasses city, town and coastal environments, and his work has been awarded numerous times for its quality, innovation and contribution to regenerating Aotearoa.

Helen Kerr is a Principal of Isthmus and registered landscape architect with twenty-five years’ experience. She is urban design discipline lead for Isthmus’ three Aotearoa studios and is based in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. Her work in strategic visioning, master planning and blue-green infrastructure specialises in regenerative and participatory design with communities.

Steph is the senior engagement advisor for the Resilient Westport adaptation programme. Steph was an emergency response coordinator during the 2021, 2022 Buller floods. She is a local business owner and resident and has held many key roles within organisations in the Buller community including the health and wellbeing sector.

Both Zabeel and Toroa are students at Buller High School. Zabeel is head student for 2025. Both are actively engaged in community life, with strong generational ties to the Coast. They were part of the Westport Master Planning Design Week workshops and have presented to elected members as youth representatives.

Paul is Council’s Project Lead for Westport Master Planning, seconded into this role from Joseph and Associates. Paul specialises in strategy and project management, with experience in adaptation planning and community engagement. He has played key Council and NGO roles in the post-disaster regeneration of Christchurch and Westport.

Dawn McCarthy is a Senior Associate at OneWorld. She holds a B.Sc. Town and Regional Planning from the University of the Witwatersrand. Before joining OneWorld, she was a Senior Director of Strategic Planning and Coordination at Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. Dawn has more than 30 years of experience in sustainable municipal development.

Dave Little joined Christchurch City Council in 2021, and is the manager of the Residential Red Zone. While his technical background is in landscape architecture, he has a passion for exploring the links between community, scientific institutions, corporate and local government to the betterment of all.