Two new board members appointed to New Zealand Outdoor Access Commission

New Zealand Outdoor Access Commission (Herenga ā Nuku Aotearoa) has announced two new members - Hugh Logan and Darren Rewi - have been appointed to its governing Board by NZ Minister for Customs Jo Luxton.

The Board’s Chair, Don Cameron, says Hugh Logan and Darren Rewi will bring invaluable experience to the Board table noting "Hugh and Darren’s close connections to the whenua and to the people on the whenua will be critical as we work to provide public outdoor access."

Dr Hugh Logan chaired the independent review of the Walking Access Act in 2019. He has also led the Ministry for the Environment, the Department of Conservation, and the NZ Antarctic Programme (now Antarctica NZ). He is a member of Te Ahu Pātiki Trust, which co-manages 500 hectares of publicly accessible land on Banks Peninsula. He is experienced in Māori land issues, Treaty settlements, and hands-on negotiations at a national level, with iwi, hapū, and whanau. He has also been a university lecturer, published author and chairperson of several public committees. Dr Logan holds a Queens Service Medal for his contributions immediately following the Air New Zealand DC-10 disaster on Mt. Erebus.

Darren Lee Rewi has extensive experience serving both professional and voluntary boards, including as the Te Waipounamu Māori representative on the Victim Support National Board, trustee at the Whakatipu Community Hub Charitable Trust, and the mayoral appointee and chair of the Queenstown Lakes District Council Welcoming Communities Advisory Board. He founded and runs Take Tuia, a cultural engagement consultancy agency in Queenstown. Rewi is the founder and chair of Mana Tahuna, a kaupapa Māori charitable trust in Queenstown, and is the community lead for the Jobs for Nature project to make Lake Hayes swimmable again. He was the Kai Tahu representative on the Teo Marama and Environment Southland Regional Forum board and the outgoing Kai Tahu representative on the DOC Species Recovery Group for the endangered whio.

Both new Board members have been appointed until 15th September 2026. Current Board chair Don Cameron and board member Celia Wade-Brown have also been reappointed to their roles. Celia Wade-Brown is currently stood down from the Board during the national election period.