Keynote Speakers

Dr. Kristen Splinter

Professor | University of New South Wales Sydney

Managing Director | Water Research Laboratory

Hoani Langsbury

Senior Ecological Consultant

Ngaio House

Ngāi Tahu, Kati Mamoe, Waitaha, Rapuwai, Kati Hawea

Hoani has been an independent Commissioner for over 18 years, he has been an active kaitiaki almost all his life.  He has a background in environmental management and is the senior Ecological Consultant for Ngaio House Consulting, a small business he has operated with his wife based at Otakou since 2011. He is an ecologist and conservationist with many years of experience supporting the community to achieve successful environmental outcomes.  Hoani is an active member of the Otago Conservation community, with a diverse skillset and responsibilities, such as the Chair of the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Trust, and a founding trustee for Wild Dunedin Festival and Predator Free Dunedin. He enjoys contributing to local community wellbeing, providing for the maintenance of community infrastructure, and ensuring that long term strategies blend environmental sustainability whilst ensuring social and economic benefits are realized.

"I liken myself to the kingfisher — the Kōtare — a bird revered in our oral traditions for its role as a vigilant observer, able to sit motionless for extended periods before striking with precision. Unlike many manu, whose names reflect their distinctive calls, the Kōtare is reflected in the name for the elevated platforms used by sentries within the pā, symbolising observation, awareness, and informed decision-making. 

For me, the Kōtare embodies the principles of mātauraka: applying long-term observation to guide sound, culturally focused decisions in the management of the taiao. Yet, like the kingfisher, kaitiaki must remain adaptive; even well-informed methods sometimes need refinement to achieve the envisaged positive outcome. 

My own practice of mātauraka spans more than six decades. Do not ask me about the early years, but in more recent decades I have served in roles including current Chair of the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Trust, RMA Commissioner specialising in discharges to both the freshwater and marine environments, Fast-track Expert Panellist and member of many NGOs. I am passionate and dedicated to environmental stewardship. An oral hikoi that reflects and informs a Te Ao Māori approach to ecological and environmental management through a practitioners Lens."

Te Ao Manu & Inherited Responsibility

Whakapapa, Mana, Mauri & Tapu

Māori worldview and the place of birds across our coastal Takiwa

Te ao Māori and balanced ecosystems

Unintended consequences