Dame Jan Wright, of Christchurch, DNZM for services to the State and the environment
Dame Jan Wright was Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment for two terms from 2007 until 2017. Dame Jan commenced her role as Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment at a time of growing public and political interest in environmental issues and has since built a reputation for her methodical approach, robust independent advice, and as a skilful public communicator. Her leadership of the office has been recognised as valuable and pragmatic across Parliament. She has provided independent advice on topics ranging from fracking and agricultural emissions to the plight of the longfin eel. Her 2011 report ‘Evaluating the use of 1080: Predators, poisons and silent forests’ has been a continuing reference in the debate around the use of the pesticide 1080. She has delivered two major reports on the consequences of climate change. Her reports on freshwater quality have provided an accessible overview of the science and provided policy options to parliamentarians. She has previously been Chair of Land Transport New Zealand and Transfund New Zealand and held membership of the Boards of Transit New Zealand, ACC, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority and the Independent Biotechnology Advisory Council. Dame Jan currently chairs the Te Manahuna Aoraki conservation project, a nationally significant biodiversity project in Aoraki National Park and the upper Mackenzie Basin.