About Āpōpō
Āpōpō – Infrastructure Asset Management Professionals Incorporated
is the lead professional association for Aotearoa New Zealand’s
infrastructure asset management community.
Āpōpō - Infrastructure Asset Management Professionals Inc
Āpōpō is our Why and our Where
Literally, Āpōpō is the night after tomorrow, inferring a balance of both the day and the night, Papatūānuku and Ranginui, the earth and the sky.
Āpōpō acknowledges our past, the present, and inspires us to raise our gaze to the future.
We do what we do today for the benefit of our present and future communities, often relying on the mahi of our predecessors.
Āpōpō is Te Reo Māori, and defines us as distinctly from Aotearoa New Zealand.
Professionals is our Who and our How
The classic definition of a professional is a member of a group with particular knowledge and skills that are necessary to perform a specific role.
Professionals are expected to maintain exemplary standards of both conduct and competency and to share a selfless common concern for the well-being of others.
We are the professionals who choose to take on the responsibility for infrastructure asset management and to gain our work satisfaction from fulfilling this responsibility to the highest level we can achieve.
Infrastructure Asset Management is our What
Infrastructure assets are the foundations of our communities – the physical things and systems most of us take for granted but which enable our quality of life, our well-being, our community purpose.
They are the things that connect us, that provide both the essentials and the pleasures of life. They serve not just the individual, but the neighbourhood, the town, the city, the region, the nation. They are enablers of equity and social cohesion, community worth and prosperity. Their nature is multi-generational, an investment made with the foresight of not only benefiting us today, but for building a better future for our children, and their children, and beyond.
Infrastructure assets have been created by our predecessors – the city engineers, county councils, the Ministry of Works, iwi, commercial enterprise, Crown entities, local government, public and private – and are being created and operated and maintained now and in the future, by the passionate experts of infrastructure asset management.
Our management of infrastructure assets is all about applying the competencies and experiences of our discipline to deliver valuable community outcomes. It is inclusive of a full lifecycle from beginning to end – from recognition of a community need, to fulfilling that need for generations to come.
Āpōpō Org Chart
More About Āpōpō
The Road to Āpōpō
Our identity has evolved over time to respond to the needs of our members. Read more about Our History.
Infrastructure Asset Management Professionals Inc
2023 onwards
Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia - New Zealand Division Inc (IPWEA NZ)
2013 - 2023
INGENIUM
2000 - 2013
ALGENZ
1988 - 2000
(NZ) Institute of County Engineers
1948 - 1987
Our Vision
Sustainable communities enabled by infrastructure asset management excellence.
Mission Statement
We will represent, develop and enhance the infrastructure asset management profession for Aotearoa.
Our vision and mission underpin our Board’s three strategies:
- Sustainable communities – drive infrastructure asset management as part of Aotearoa’s solution for climate adaptation, decarbonisation and waste minimisation.
- Reform support – lead the public asset sector through reforms to shape member valued outcomes and promote infrastructure asset management excellence.
- Āpōpō evolution – Ensure relevance through member value and sector engagement.
The Āpōpō Constitution was last updated in October 2024 and can be downloaded below.
Our Objectives
- Uphold and improve the status of infrastructure asset management in Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Promote and encourage appropriate asset management standards for all infrastructure assets.
- Advocate, on behalf of Members, to strive for asset management excellence.
- Foster the sharing of knowledge among:
- Members
- those working with infrastructure assets
- local government elected members and central government officials and others with accountability for infrastructure assets
- associations and organisations with similar objectives within Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas.
- Encourage, sponsor and promote research into all aspects of infrastructure asset management.
- Provide benefits for Members, including opportunities for continuing professional development and networking.
- Take any other action which in the opinion of the Board will be to the benefit of the public of Aotearoa New Zealand, Members, local or central government, or infrastructure asset management generally.
Annual Report
Check out our progress in achieving our vision, mission and objectives by reading our Annual Report for 2022-23.
Find our previous Annual Reports below:
Āpōpō Board
The Board is a dedicated and experienced group well regarded in our industry, who lead and advise on matters relevant to public asset engineering and management.
Gary Porteous, CPEng
Client Director, Asset & Network
Performance, WSP
Gary is the current President of Āpōpō – Infrastructure Asset Management Professionals in New Zealand and is a GFMAM member representative. He is Client Director – Asset and Network Performance for WSP in New Zealand, where he works across in the Transport and Infrastructure Sectors. Gary has a Master’s of Pavement Technology (MPavtTech), and a bachelor’s degree in Engineering (BE Civil) from University of Canterbury. Gary is a Chartered Professional Engineer with both Engineering New Zealand (CPEng) and Member Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia, Canada (AGBC) – PEng. Gary is also CAMA2 and CPAM with WPiAM and AMC.
Steve Browning
Director
Strategic Asset Solutions
Steve was appointed to the Āpōpō Board in September 2021, and Vice-President in 2023.
Steve is an asset management specialist with extensive experience working with infrastructure assets in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada. He enjoys providing strategic advice to asset owning organisations, utilising technology to assist optimised decision making and securing funding by helping tell the infrastructure investment story.
He has worked on all sides of the infrastructure management process and has a robust understanding of construction and maintenance, data modelling and forward works planning. Steve was the client-side Lead Asset Management Advisor for large scale PPP contracts in Canada and was the Technical Director of Asset Management for TRL in the UK.
Steve is a skilled negotiator and an experienced communicator, who has delivered asset management training to staff at all levels of organizational seniority. He is passionate about raising the profile of infrastructure asset management and is currently leading the Āpōpō training working group to develop the next generation of asset management training.
He has supported clients to create industry leading activity management plans and is an experienced investment logic mapping and business case developer. Steve has worked across the infrastructure spectrum, specializing in the transport, property and water sectors, and enjoys cross pollinating best practice from each sector.
Nicola Chisnall
Asset Manager Three Waters
Department of Corrections
Nicola was appointed to the Āpōpō Board in June 2019, and is Asset Manager Three Waters at the Department of Corrections.
Nicola has been working in and around local goverment in the three waters area for 20+ years, with the last 18 in asset management.
Nicola has been working in an environment with multiple council shareholders for the last 10 years and was Team Leader Investment Planning at Wellington Water until 2021.
George Bowman
Team Leader
Assets & Performance
Greater Wellington
George was appointed to the Āpōpō Board in September 2021.
Since George gained his BSc (Hons) in Geography and Environmental Management from the University of the West of England in 2015, his career has moved from strength to strength. He worked in Flood & Coastal Risk Management for the UK’s Environment Agency before moving to New Zealand, where he worked as a Flood Risk Engineer at Greater Wellington Regional Council for 2.5 years, before setting up his own consultancy, Asset BowManagement Ltd.
George will inject a new energy to the group and unleash his passions to help strengthen existing and new initiatives of Āpōpō, including:
- Growing the Āpōpō tribe;
- Countering the public works skills shortage, particularly engineering and asset management; and
- Raising the profile of Flood Protection and River Management (commonly under-represented as the 4th water). There is room to create stronger relationships with this sector, provide more sector-specific training where there is currently gaps, and convert more tamariki into river practitioners.
George has previously served time as the Branch Secretary for Wellington/Taranaki, and is part of the Āpōpō Training Working Group providing support for the AM Digital Badges.
Kelly Churchill, CPEng CMEngNZ PMP
National Performance Manager
Fulton Hogan
I am a Chartered Professional Engineer, working as National Performance Manager for Fulton Hogan. I have been working in our industry for more than 20 years, spanning surveying, engineering design and economics, contract and project management, and the last 7 years in Contracting / Asset Management. In this time, I have successfully led a state highway outcomes-based contract before moving into my national role, and over this time been involved extensively with boards.
In the last year I have participated as Fulton Hogan alternate to the Combined NOC Board as well and the Wellington Transport Alliance Board. In 2022 I was awarded the IPWEA Emerging Governance scholarship, resulting in the opportunity to complete the IOD Company Directors Course. The course has provided me great insight into effective boards, using strategy to provide direction and focus, ensuring there is diversity of thought, skills, and equity at the board table.
I am passionate about using end user / customer insights to make informed decisions about the way we maintain our assets. I am a firm believer in embracing diversity of thought, innovation and technology to deliver sustainable outcomes. I would bring my unique and varied experience, skills, contracting perspective and passion about asset management in contracting and maintenance to the Āpōpō board.
Kushla Tapper
Strategic Asset Manager South Island
Department of Conservation | Te Papa Atawhai
Kushla Tapper brings over 20 years of experience in public infrastructure and is passionate about fostering life-long learning to advance the industry. Her career path is a testament to non-traditional success, as she didn't originally study engineering but has become a strong advocate for public infrastructure and education. Kushla currently serves as the Secretary of the Road Engineering Association of Asia and Australasia (REAAA) New Zealand and is on a journey to become a chartered member of New Zealand’s Institute of Directors.
Kristina Hermens
Business Director
Three Waters
Kristina is a Business Director (Three Waters) at Beca. She has worked in asset and project management roles in consultancy and local government for the past 20 years.
Kristina is passionate about helping our communities to prosper and thrive by providing public infrastructure which is tailored to meet their needs.
Kristina finds this an exciting time to be working in the government sector and as the sector transforms over the next few years. Sound asset management practice by well-trained and experienced practitioners will be of utmost importance. Āpōpō has the opportunity to lead and support the industry to take asset management practice to the next level and she looks forward to being part of this journey.
Parvati Patel
Asset Planning Team Leader
Hamilton City Council
Parvati Patel is the Asset Planning Team Leader at Hamilton City Council, looking after asset management of the Three Waters.
She has worked in the local government space for over 20 years, primarily in Three Waters with experience in operations, compliance, project management and asset management over the last 10 years.
Recently she has been involved with the DIA in developing AMPs for the Waikato area. She’s enjoying being in the industry and sees the changes as opportunities to grow and make sure asset management is forefront to the success of any changes that do occur in the Waters Industry.
Darren de Klerk
Principal I Business Director - Water
Beca
Darren de Klerk is an Āpōpō Board member and East Coast/Bay of Plenty Branch Chair.
Darren is the Business Director – Water at Beca, based in Hawke’s Bay. He is an experienced and ambitious infrastructure leader having held leadership roles in the public and private sector, as a contractor and client.
Raj Suppiah
Group Manager
Corporate, Tararua District Council
Raj was appointed to the Āpōpō Board in June 2019.
E: Raj Suppiah
James Thorne
Strategic Asset Manager and 3 Waters Infrastructure Engineer, Waimakariri District Council
James is Branch Chair for Upper South Island. He's a civil engineer and asset manager from Christchurch.
For most of his 16-year career, James has been supporting Councils in the South Island with water sector infrastructure decision-making. He wants to ensure that the region remains active at a local level and is well represented at a national level. He'd like to see infrastructure professionals embracing and stepping into asset management and sharing their collective wisdom and practice. James loves the challenge of solving complex problems (technical, social, financial, environmental, etc.). He also loves how our public infrastructure is making communities better.
E: James Thorne
Mark Baker, BEng, CPEng
Principal Engineer
Morphum Environmental
Mark Baker is a highly experienced chartered professional engineer specialising in three waters asset management and strategic planning. With over 17 years of experience, he has worked extensively in the local government infrastructure sector, both as a client and a consultant. During his time at Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC), Mark led a multi-disciplinary team, managing long-life infrastructure assets and overseeing long-term infrastructure planning for one of New Zealand's fastest-growing districts.
Currently based in the Queenstown area, Mark works with Morphum Environmental. He is deeply passionate about the outdoors and dedicated to preserving the unique environment and lifestyle of Aotearoa/New Zealand.
E: Mark Baker
Āpōpō Staff
We’re a team of six, based in Wellington.
Sarah Hosford
e: sarah.hosford@apopo.co.nz
m: +64 (0) 21 169 2678
Membership Administration
Finance and Accounts
e: accounts@apopo.co.nz
m: +64 22 428 5896
Training Administration
Āpōpō Branches
Our five regionally-based Āpōpō branches are your local connection to our asset management profession. Each branch hosts regular knowledge-sharing events and networking opportunities to meet with peers and colleagues, and share the challenges and opportunities as we strive for public asset management excellence for all our communities.
Āpōpō Community
The Āpōpō community consists of four Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and our independent subsidiary company (IDS). Āpōpō is also a member of ELF, the Engineer Leadership Forum.
Each SIG’s committee of asset management practitioners is talented and passionately focused on their specialist areas of interest. Our SIGs provide Āpōpō with technical, operational and strategic expertise and experience to guide and contribute to the development of our professional development programmes, products and events.
LDEG
The Land Development Engineering Group (LDEG) provides leadership and strategic advice on best practice to the New Zealand Land Development Engineering industry.
RIMS
Roading Infrastructure Management Support Group (RIMS) is New Zealand’s authoritative voice on road asset and information management.
NAMS
National Asset Management Support (NAMS) provides technical guidance and support for anyone managing community and infrastructure assets in NZ and worldwide.
Wai Kotahi
Wai Kotahi (embracing water as one) focuses on best practice asset management for water infrastructure and services, and on supporting practitioners through the water reform transition.
IDS
Infrastructure Decision Support (IDS) provides evidence-based strategic support to asset infrastructure management professionals and councils around the country.
ELF
The Engineering Leadership Forum (ELF) provides an opportunity for the CEO and senior executives of member organisations to discuss current issues and where possible coordinate activities and assist one another.
