Āpōpō Annual General Meeting 2025

The Board will be recommending to members at the AGM changes to the Constitution which, if adopted, will reduce the size of the Board from its current 12 members to 8 members. 

The Board proposes that the Branch Chairs elected by Branch members, with effect from the 2025 elections, are no longer automatically members of the Board.  Should the proposed constitution changes not be approved at the October AGM, all elected Branch Chairs will continue to be Board members in accordance with the existing constitution.

Under a changed constitution Branch Chairs will remain as an elected role outside of the Board.  However, one of the elected Branch Chairs, as selected by the five elected Branch Chairs, will become a Board Member representing the interests of all the branches.

This proposed change is intended to enable Branch Chairs to concentrate their volunteer time on meeting the needs of members in their Branch area by freeing time from overall governance of the organisation.  The change will also align the size of the Board closer to best practice, allowing for each Board member to make fair contributions, particularly during meeting time.  Further, a smaller Board will support the President as Board Chair in their role of managing the functions and responsibilities of the Board.

It has long been understood by leaders of the organisation that the current Board composition is not in accordance with the sound practice considered necessary for an effective governance body.  Āpōpō has in the last two years re-established its mandate in the New Zealand professional landscape and is embarking on a sustained effort to grow membership and firmly assert the criticality of infrastructure asset management to the long term well being and prosperity of communities all over New Zealand. 

The proposed changes are significant and vary a structure that has served the organisation for a long period.   However, a strong effective Board is now required to drive the organisation forward successfully and the Board believes that the proposed changes will best enable this to occur.

This year, the positions of President, board members and branch chairs will be opened for nominations. For more information on our constitution and what is involved with these roles, visit this About Us page.

• Āpōpō Rules

Nominations for the position of President will open on Wednesday 27 August and will close on Wednesday 10 September.  If necessary, an election will take place for the position of President commencing on 17 September 2025.

Branch Chairs are elected by branch members each year.  Incumbent Branch Chairs who are nominated may be re-elected.  Nominations for Branch Chairs will open on Wednesday 27 August 2025 and close on Wednesday 10 September.  Where necessary elections will take place for each branch commencing on Wednesday 17 September 2025.

Also, each year, three elected Board Members (i.e. half of those elected by all members) must stand down, but may be re-elected.  Nominations for these Board positions will also open on 27 August 2025 with an election (if necessary) commencing Wednesday 17 September 2025.

Details for any necessary election processes will be provided following the close of the nomination period on Wednesday 10 September.

Board structure as per current constitution (12 positions plus co-opted members if any):

Proposed Board structure, subject to adoption of proposed constitution changes by members at the 2025 AGM (8 positions plus co-opted members if any):

Visit our about us/Āpōpō Board page to meet your current board members.

Board members standing down in 2025, but are welcome to re-nominate:

• President: Gary Porteous
• All Branch Chairs
  • Parvati Patel – Northern Branch
  • Darren de Klerk – Bay of Plenty East Coast Branch
  • Raj Suppiah – Taranaki Wellington Branch
  • James Thorne – Upper South Island Branch
  • Mark Baker – Otago Southland Branch
• Elected members
  • Steve Browning
  • George Bowman
  • Kelly Churchill

Notes:

If the recommended constitution changes are adopted by members at the 2025 AGM, elected Branch Chairs will then select amongst themselves one of their number to be a Board member.

At its first meeting after the AGM the Board will then select a Vice President from its 7 members (ie excluding the elected President). The Board may also at any stage co-opt additional members to the board as it sees fit.