I came to live on Aotea in 2006, having sailed to it many times in the 80s onboard the Spirit of Adventure. Initially, I was a co-owner of Great Barrier Lodge at Whangaparapara with Tony Christiansen and my wife Margaret. When Margaret passed from cancer in 2010, we decided to sell the lodge, and I remained the owner of the charter vessel Sundancer and the Hooked On Barrier shop in Claris. Over the subsequent years, I variously ran the shop and charter operations before closing the shop to focus on the charters. I still operate the charter business with the help of my skipper, William Park.
I stood for the local board in 2022, being one of the successful candidates, and have been the Deputy Chair for the second part of the term. After serving a term on the local board, I find myself with a desire to continue advocating for Aotea, particularly in the marine and economic spaces. We have worked hard with MPI (both Fisheries and Biosecurity) and Auckland Council around protecting our moana. This is an ongoing fight, and we have some exciting projects that I have been part of and would like to keep contributing to.
I am also involved with the Aotea destination steering group, which is working on developing a strong economy on the island to support the ability of our residents to live on Aotea.
My strengths include my 40-odd years of being a business owner, combined with having worked with large corporations and government organisations. My time on the water, both prior to and since coming to Aotea, gives me a deep understanding of the marine space both as a conservationist and an operator.
I have been influenced by Aotea’s unique environment and values, and after being a nomad most of my life, have settled here as my home. I see Aotea as a conservation space and support pest management efforts.
As a candidate, I will advocate strongly for Aotea in all spaces and bring a pragmatic business approach to the local board. I strongly encourage the forward planning approach—identifying goals and achievable outcomes rather than nice-to-have visions. On the economy, I seek to find sustainable economic solutions rather than asking for subsidies.
Listen: Aotea / Great Barrier Island Local Board member and candidate Chris Ollivier, and fellow hopeful Gregory Heap, speaks with Kathy Cumming on Aotea FM.
