Campbell Leckie as been appointed project director of the Predator Free Rakiura project.

This ambitious project to eradicate pests from Rakiura/Stewart Island is spearheaded by the Te Puka Rakiura Trust.

Originally formed in 2014, the group is an alliance of interested groups including iwi, government, business, organisations and local community representatives.

Te Puka Rakiura trustee Paul Norris says all trust members and project stakeholders are delighted that Mr Leckie has taken on the role and are looking forward to him commencing on 28 February 2022. 

“It’s a real coup for us to have secured someone of Campbell’s calibre as he has an impressive background in leading large-scale pest and ecological restoration programmes in the Hawke’s Bay region and brings extensive knowledge of biodiversity and biosecurity to our eradication project.”

Leckie says he is looking forward to returning to his South Island roots when he picks up the lead on the Predator Free Rakiura project.

“I was born in Palmerston and then spent the first 10 years of my life living in different parts of the South Island as my father worked on regional pest control boards and for the New Zealand Forest Service.”

When his family shifted to the central North Island, Leckie says he spent most of his teenage years hunting and fishing before starting his career as a Department of Conservation goat culler and possum trapper.

“This work led to biosecurity roles in regional councils, where at times I also led forestry and catchment management teams, and then to management roles for the Cape to City, Poutiri Ao ō Tāne, and Whakatipu Mahia projects.”

Leckie says that innovation, transformation at scale, and a focus on people all played critical parts in the success of these projects, and he is really looking forward to seeing how they can each be applied to the Predator Free Rakiura project.

“Individually and collectively, everyone supporting the project has laid a great foundation to take it into its next phase and I am keen to add my skills and experience to build together on the work done to date.” 

Leckie's first task will be to lead the design and feasibility stage of the project.