Christchurch West Melton Water Zone Committee welcomes two new members

The Christchurch West Melton Water Zone Committee is pleased to introduce its newest members, Clare Piper and Cailin Richardson Hall. Annabelle Hasselman was also reappointed to the committee.

Water zone committees are made up of people with a wide range of interests in water, who have a strong connection to the zone. The refresh of members ensures a flow of fresh ideas and opinions at the committee table, and that serving members are given a break from a demanding community role.

Clare Piper

Clare Piper

Clare is a resident of the central city, a solo parent of two children, and an urbanista and adaptive planning specialist in her professional life.

She has a strong interest in being actively involved in enhancing and supporting the quality of the city's urban waterways to allow her children to be able to see fish and play in local streams and rivers for years to come.

With a master's degree in Environmental Policy and involvement in a variety of boards as a trustee, she is well-versed in working with multi-perspectival teams to develop and deliver strategies, policies and action plans with a particular focus on supporting community projects to make a difference to the environment.

Cailin Richardson Hall

Cailin has a strong connection to the natural environment.

Cailin Richardson Hall

In 2020 she completed a Bachelor of Sustainability and Outdoor Education, and her current role as a lead outdoor educator involves facilitating outdoor activities for people with intellectual disabilities. She also enjoys recreating around Canterbury's waterways, including whitewater kayaking.

Through a scholarship, Cailin was fortunate enough to undertake the Waterwise Canterbury training program, which gave her an understanding of the region's water issues and the various perspectives.

She's also volunteered with Algalita South Pacific - a charity focused on plastic pollution in the marine environment, and in the final year of her degree, conducted a research paper on Eco-Anxiety and its effect on people's livelihoods.

Cailin supports and values the zone's vision for its urban waterways to be healthy and for its communities to have a potable supply of untreated groundwater into the future.

The Christchurch West Melton Water Zone Committee is a joint committee made up of community members, rūnanga and local councils.