Imogen Bassett

Head of Natural Environment Specialist Services, Auckland Council

With a research background in weed and invertebrate ecology, Dr Imogen Bassett has since spent over a decade working in local government biosecurity and conservation, focused on leading and facilitating evidence-informed conservation operations and policy. Imogen has had lead roles in developing and implementing Auckland’s Regional Pest Management Plan 2020-2030 (RPMP). The RPMP introduced new initiatives to prevent pest spread to islands, including mandatory ‘Pest free warrants’ for commercial transport operators, and regulating the trade and movement of pet parrots and reptiles. The RPMP also set out a range of programmes managing established pests on islands, including eradication of possums, wallabies, stoats and rats from Kawau Island, and an ambition to eradicate 30 species of pest plants from Aotea Great Barrier. Imogen has led public conversations on the emotive topic of domestic cat management for biodiversity protection, including tailoring conversations to island communities. Imogen’s work also includes national collaborations, developing a ‘Clean Hull Plan’, co-chairing the National Biocontrol Collective, peer reviewing the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s report ‘Space Invaders: A review of how New Zealand manages weeds that threaten native ecosystems’, and contributing to the Biological Heritage National Science Challenge.

Keith Broome

Keith has worked in the conservation field for 45 years, initially for the NZ Forest Service and later the Department of Conservation. Retiring from DOC in 2023, he is now a part time consultant, nature photographer and conservation volunteer. His focus throughout this career has been on pest management for biodiversity gain.  For almost 30 years he has led the Island Eradication Advisory Group, an internal DOC group established to share technical advice across pest eradication projects on islands and build capacity among eradication project managers. This group has supported many challenging projects throughout the world.