
Dr Adrian Meredith
Environment Canterbury (Regional Council)
Adrian is a local government Principal Scientist that has spent most of his career in the local government resource management. He started his career as a comparative [fish] physiologist before moving to more holistic eco-physiology of native galaxiid fishes, attempting to answer many “how” and “why” questions on native fish tolerances and survival. These academic skills were then applied to fish interactionswith New Zealand’s early thermal power industry. The local government journey hasstriven for a sound ecological and environmental basis for many industry activitiessuch as thermal, geothermal and hydro-electric power industries; coal, mineral, and aggregate mining industries; forestry and pulp and paper industries; agricultural processing industries such as dairy, meat, and wool; and intensive agriculture/irrigation. He has also developed significant environmental monitoring program initiatives; contributed to key resource management plan development processes and advocated for science-based solutions. Most recent initiatives have involved contributing to requirements for sustainable water intake fish screening facilities and assisting New Zealand’s most off-shore community (the Chatham Islands) to enable them to become part of the broader NZ resource management community. A key theme has been advocating widely and wisely for sound sustainable management and broad environmental outcomes particularly for fisheries and ecological values.
A local government resource management career wisely spent?
It is an honor to be nominated for and receive this NZFSS Society medal. In particular, I endorse this as overdue recognition for the Society’s many career Resource Management practitioners. I will reflect on my career decision, career journey, and the part I believe I have played in advocating for sustainable management and achievement of broad environmental outcomes. This journey is not without its challenges, the greatest being responses to the changing political landscape. The current political pressure on our environment and our science is maybe the greatest challenge to date.