New Zealand Farm Environment Trust Announces Appointment Of Sandy Butler As New Trustee

The New Zealand Farm Environment Trust (NZFET) is pleased to announce the appointment of Sandy Butler as a new trustee. Sandy brings a wealth of experience in sustainable land management, community engagement, and environmental stewardship, making her a valuable addition to the Trust's board.

Sandy lives with her family on a sheep and beef property at Waerenga-o-Kuri, and is the Land Management Team Leader at Gisborne District Council (GDC), where her team works alongside rural communities to provide education and advocacy on sustainable land management practices. She is also the chair of the recently established community/catchment group Weka Guardians, which focuses on the Hangaroa River and its tributaries.

With years of experience in land management and environmental projects, Sandy has led several notable initiatives, including:

• Managing the Wharekopae River Restoration Project, a finalist in the 2019 NZ River Awards, which focused on improving E. coli levels by implementing on-farm mitigations.

• Overseeing the Nature-Based Solutions project for Waimata Awa, identifying nature-based solutions for slowing flood flows in the Waimata Catchment.

• Collaborating with Beef + Lamb New Zealand extension facilitators to bring a local focus to national programmes.

• Leading the Taruheru River Restoration Project.

• Collaborating with local communities, catchment groups, and mana whenua to ensure understanding of national and regional regulations at the farm scale.

Sandy has been actively involved with the East Coast Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA) since 2018, both as a committee member and a first-round judge. Her passion for celebrating and supporting sustainable farming practices aligns closely with the Trust’s mission.

Beyond her role at GDC, Sandy is also a member of Farming Women Tairawhiti and Rural Women New Zealand. She is dedicated to continuously expanding her knowledge and is a strong advocate for the valuable work carried out by the NZFET.

"Sandy’s extensive background in land management, community collaboration, and her dedication to sustainable farming makes her an ideal addition to our board," said NZFET Chair Brendon Cross. “I’m looking forward to working with Sandy in her new role as a trustee. It’s fantastic to see someone from the wider BFEA family stepping up and bringing their passion, experience, and commitment to the organisation.”

The Trust also farewells outgoing trustee Fiona Young, expressing their gratitude for her service. "It has been a pleasure working with Fiona during her time with us. She brought a solid depth of knowledge to the table and was always willing to contribute when called upon. Her efforts have been appreciated, and we wish her the best in her future endeavours," said Cross.

Sandy’s appointment comes ahead of the 2025 Ballance Farm Environment Awards season, which kicks off in Canterbury on 6 March and will be held across eleven regions. Organised by the NZFET, the awards celebrate and promote sustainable farming and growing practices and provide a unique, pan-sector forum for knowledge sharing among farmers and growers, agribusiness professionals and the wider community

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