Maritime NZ people
Scott Moore
Maritime Officer
Please tell us a bit about your background… I’ve enjoyed the ocean recreationally from a young age, so I was lucky enough to take on a role working commercially on the water many years ago. The work has taken me across different regions of New Zealand and even to the Pacific Islands. The skills and knowledge I gained at the time positioned me well to take on the role of a maritime officer when it became available.
What does a typical day look like and what are you currently focusing on? My work is split between being based in the office and working in the field face-to-face with sector partners. My role requires me to be across various areas such as engagement, education, inspections, and investigations – all ultimately focused on developing positive and collaborative relationships with the sector. Most of my time involves the domestic commercial sector, where I’ve been working with some of the same operators for over 14 years.
What do you enjoy most about your role? I enjoy working with people from all areas of the maritime industry and helping them navigate challenges in a practical way that’s directly relevant to their operation. And anyone reading this will likely already know how entertaining some of the people in the maritime world can be. I get to spend days at a time with some pretty humorous characters that I otherwise might never have got to meet.
What do you like best about working for the maritime industry? There is such a strong sense of community within the maritime industry. I’m often on the receiving end of frustrations operators sometimes have with each other. But it’s always obvious that, if there was ever a need to help out on the water, they would still be the first to offer assistance, no matter their history. It shows the true character of the New Zealand seafarer.
What’s your proudest moment at Maritime NZ? Not every operation is going to fit neatly into the complexities of every rule it operates under. I enjoy the challenge of helping people think outside the box to identify ways to keep everyone safe in situations where they initially believed there was no practical solution.
What is your biggest achievement to date (personal or professional)? It’s hard to beat raising a family to become the incredible people they are today.
What are the values that drive you? My values are building trust in the industry and treating everyone with respect. I haven’t walked in everyone’s shoes, so I’ll always treat people professionally and learn to first understand what drives them.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? I’m lucky enough to live in the amazing Bay of Plenty, surrounded by everything I enjoy doing. This includes surfing and fishing with good friends, boating on the lakes with the family, and when I get the chance, a little overseas travel as well.
Megan Adamson
Senior Advisor, Education and Guidance
Please tell us a bit about your background… I grew up near the beach in a small far north settlement, so being close to the water and the natural world has always been part of my life. In my late teenage years, I developed a fascination with sailing ships after a voyage on the Spirit of New Zealand. That experience led me to volunteer on both the Spirit of New Zealand and The Breeze, including helping with the re‑rigging. While I’m no longer sailing traditional vessels, I am fortunate to still spend plenty of time on the water.
My career path has been varied. I started in geophysics, then moved into the Emissions Trading Scheme, with most of my background focused on data management across these areas. I’ve also spent significant time developing guides and processes to help people navigate complex systems. All of this helped pave the way to my current role at Maritime NZ.
What does a typical day look like and what are you currently focusing on? A typical day involves meeting with technically minded colleagues and translating the information they provide into clear, accessible language. Right now, I’m contributing to the redevelopment of our website, helping ensure the content is accurate, understandable, and user-friendly.
What do you enjoy most about your role? I’m passionate about the sea, so I love that my role allows me to deepen my knowledge while translating the maritime regulatory framework into language that’s easier for everyone to understand.
What do you find most challenging? The breadth and complexity of Maritime NZ’s work can be challenging to simplify. There is a lot to learn – but that’s also what I enjoy most. The variety keeps the work interesting and rewarding.
What do you like best about working for the maritime industry? I really appreciate how passionate people are about their work and the variety within the industry. There is so much specialised knowledge, and I feel lucky to work in a field where I can continue learning every day.
What’s your proudest moment at Maritime NZ? I am most proud of being part of the team that helped to set up the International Voyage Certificate for taking New Zealand Registered Recreational Boats overseas. Designing a new system and understanding the requirements behind it was both challenging and fascinating.
What is your biggest achievement to date (personal or professional)? A standout achievement for me was earning my RYA Coastal Skipper qualification in Nelson. Navigating tight areas without electronic aids was incredibly rewarding.
What are the values that drive you? Courage, connection, and honesty.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? I’m usually out sailing – especially racing. I love the longer races that cross Cook Strait and venture into the Marlborough Sounds or Nelson. When I’m not on the water, I’m often helping with boat maintenance. I’m also an active member of my yacht club and contribute by helping with newsletter writing. Outside of sailing, I enjoy walking – ideally somewhere close to the water.
Michal Lus
Maritime Inspector
Please tell us a bit about your background… In short: I’m a Naval Architect by trade. I spent a decent portion of my life working for Norwegian shipping companies and yards, including the offshore industry. Realising that more and more of my time was being spent in front of a screen (especially once digital twins and point cloud scans became common) pushed me toward compliance, surveys, and inspections. This allowed me to maintain healthy frontline exposure to what is happening in the industry and the challenges it faces. I’ve been at Maritime NZ for nearly eight years now and in my current role for eighteen months.
What does a typical day look like and what are you currently focusing on? The role brings a lot of variety and sometimes even unexpected activities to the table, so “typical” can be a strong word. That said, preparing for and carrying out ship inspections – including gathering any relevant information and intelligence – is what I’d consider our bread and butter.
What do you enjoy most about your role? As mentioned above, the role is very dynamic by nature and offers plenty of variety. One moment you might be consulting with the legal team or catching up on the latest changes with the harbourmaster. The next you could be responding to an incident or conducting an inspection on one of the largest ships the world has to offer.
What do you find most challenging? Technological overuse and keeping up with rapid changes, while ensuring that their various interpretations don’t compromise safety or the day-to-day lives of seafarers can be challenging. Oh… and yes, AI generated and particularly AI-over-advised procedures or even complaints are a thing nowadays. Used properly, AI can make a case clearer, but in some situations, it can also tangle things up by misinterpreting information or creating expectations and even entitlements that don’t really exist outside the internet.
What do you like best about working in the maritime industry? Professionalism and adaptability. No matter how you look at this sector, it will always be unique and quite often not fully understood by the average user of shipped goods. As one of my former bosses once said, it’s an “unnatural and often hostile environment that doesn’t want to support your feet and eats away steel like candy,” and yet the industry thrives on the consensus that the word “problem” simply does not exist, as there are only solutions.
What’s your proudest moment at Maritime NZ? If I had to choose one, I would say a Maritime Labour Convention complaint we handled during full-on COVID-19 times is still one of my favourites. Looking back at all the temporary limitations in place at the time, de-escalating what was initially reported to us as a stress induced “knife to throat” standoff into half a dozen grown men bursting into tears of joy and thanking us for our support does wonders for one’s sense of purpose.
What is your biggest achievement to date (personal or professional)? Raising (or being raised by – I’m still not quite sure which one it is) an inquisitive child with an open mind and a can-do attitude. It’s still a work in progress, but I’m loving it, and I’m already quite sure that nothing else will come close.
What are the values that drive you? Empathy, honesty, and patience – with the last one probably playing the biggest role at both work and home.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? I enjoy getting out and about with my family and creating memories, photography, hiking, and, perhaps less willingly, gardening. I also love experimenting with DIY, and making sure my daughter gets her hands into it – because even if it falls apart, it’s still great fun and a good learning process.
Sam Hughes
Maritime Auditor
Please tell us a bit about your background… I grew up in a tiny countryside village in North Wales, before moving to Aotearoa with my family as a teenager. I enjoy learning, so have studied in many disciplines, including both education and auditing (as well as picking up smaller qualifications along the way). I’ve worked in a number of roles in various areas, including conservation, teaching, biosecurity, and now in the maritime sector.
I was a training officer in a rescue response team for about 15 years, undertaking adult education activities for both theory and practical subjects, including setting up, conducting, evaluating and moderating training and assessments in a range of topics.
I was later a biosecurity inspector, thoroughly enjoying clambering on vehicles and vessels, as well as inspecting tiny seeds upon their arrival in New Zealand, looking for biosecurity risks, including the fun creepy crawly variety.
I then moved into the auditing space, auditing transitional facilities and places of first arrival in New Zealand, as well as treatment and processing facilities in Japan, Indonesia and Europe – working with people to mitigate biosecurity risks and helping to assess and strengthen processes.
What does a typical day look like and what are you currently focusing on? I’m not sure I have a ‘typical’ day as such, but my work days are usually filled with problem solving, digging into records and data, communicating with stakeholders, and planning for improvements in the oversight of third-party regulators (and just to clarify, ‘oversight’ to me includes working out what support mechanisms or resources are needed by the third-party regulators to undertake their role well, ensuring expectations are clearly defined and communicated, building and/or maintaining positive relationships, as well as looking at methods of verification and monitoring in the industry pathways). I’m currently focusing on recognised maritime surveyors and the recognition framework.
What do you enjoy most about your role? I enjoy meeting people in the many different areas of the maritime sector and working out how we can best support them to undertake their roles successfully, while protecting the marine environment and those working or playing within it.
I also enjoy looking for areas of improvement I can help implement or facilitate to make things better.
What do you find most challenging? I find it challenging to work with systems that need improvements across several areas. It can be difficult to decide how to improve processes without making the changes feel overwhelming for industries or individuals.
What do you like best about working for the maritime industry? The passion and enthusiasm that’s obvious when you have conversations with people across the sector (and in Maritime NZ) about what they do and why it’s important.
What’s your proudest moment? One of my proudest moments was receiving a medallion from the Governor General on behalf of the Queen for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Awards for Volunteer Service with the Animal Rescue Unit.
What is your biggest achievement to date? I achieved my first Dan in Taekwon-Do this year, which was seriously challenging while also rewarding. It was an incredible journey.
What are the values that drive you? Respect, integrity, perseverance, indomitable spirit, kindness, determination and courtesy are my foundational values.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? I enjoy exploring the outdoors, preferably walking into remote areas in the back of beyond and having adventures. I spend some weekend days volunteering for Kaitiaki ō ngā Kororā (Penguin People) to monitor Kororā health on Matiu (Somes Island).
I also love challenging myself with my Taekwon-Do whānau and pushing myself beyond my expected limits. And in the quieter times (or rainier days) I enjoy reading, pottering round my garden or anything arty and crafty, including drawing, painting, sculpting, carving and crocheting (I even crocheted a 7-foot Moa named Maurice, who currently lives at Lower Hutt Library!).
Ella Borrie
Senior Advisor, Regulatory Policy Design
What does a typical day look like and what are you currently focusing on? I fear my desk job will never be as interesting as some of the other roles at Maritime NZ! Making rules amendments is the bread and butter of my team’s mahi. A typical day for me would be: meetings, project management, research, writing and editing briefing papers, coordinating policy processes and getting documents ready for consultation or sign off.
What do you enjoy most about your role? Being part of a policy process can be super satisfying. I like that rules amendments have an end goal and clear steps to reach it. I also enjoy that my work is collaborative and communicative.
What do you find most challenging? Feeling like progress isn’t being made. I like ticking things off a to-do list!
What do you like best about working for the maritime industry? Anything to do with the ocean is always going to be interesting. The maritime industry can be a bit ‘out of sight, out of mind’ if you don’t interact with it much – but it is so important to Aotearoa. I like that there is always more to learn about how ships and shipping work.
What’s your proudest moment at Maritime NZ? I’m hoping it’ll be the rules amendments I’m working on right now. They aren’t quite over the line yet, but rest assured, there will be cake when we get there!
Please tell us a bit about your background… I’ve worked in policy teams at a few central government agencies. I also spent summers during high school and university working on orchards. If you ever need advice on how to properly store stone fruit, I’m your girl!
What is your biggest achievement to date (personal or professional)? Doing a Creative Writing Masters at the International Institute of Modern Letters at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University. It was hard to manage work and study, but it was an incredibly rewarding year.
What are the values that drive you? Integrity, honesty, thoughtfulness, and doing your dishes.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? The classics: tramping, reading, swimming, spending time with friends and whānau, and attempting to make the perfect sandwich.
Amanda Kerr
Maritime Officer
Please tell us a bit about your background… I was lucky enough to grow up in the Nelson region with all the amazing outdoor opportunities on offer. I spent my childhood camping, fishing, sailing, and cooking damper over an open fire. We owned and operated a mussel farm in the Croisilles Harbour in the Marlborough Sounds, and all of these experiences have very much shaped who I am today.
In my early twenties, like many Kiwis, I headed off on my OE, not knowing it would eventually take me to Botswana, a land-locked country. I lived there for around 10 years before coming back home to New Zealand. I never thought I could live away from the sea, however, Africa is an incredible continent and the experiences I encountered will stay with me for the rest of my life. They too have shaped how I see the world.
Once settled back in New Zealand, I was a tutor at our local Polytechnic, teaching predominately teenage boys on Trades Certificates. From there I moved to Port Nelson, working as a casual on the tugboats and pilot boat, eventually becoming Nelson’s Deputy Harbourmaster. I then took on the role of Maritime Officer for Maritime NZ.
What does a typical day look like and what are you currently focusing on? One of the things I love about this job is that no two days are the same. However, one key component of my role is Maritime Operator Safety Systems (MOSS) audits. I devote a lot of time to coordinating with operators, prepping for the audit, and then carrying out the audit. The Nelson office encompasses the top of the South Island, from Westport through to the Marlborough Sounds – a sizable area with many different operators. One day we could be working with a tuna fisherman, the next, auditing a yacht charter company.
In addition to a variety of safety system audits, we carry out Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) inspections, undertake investigations, help operators transition to MOSS, and handle day-to-day enquires from operators.
What do you enjoy most about your role? There are so many things I love about my role, but above all, I really enjoy working with different operators. I appreciate the challenges and the industry respect, which is hard-earned. I also enjoy spending time on a variety of vessels. I relish the job satisfaction at the end of the day, and most of the time, it’s a team effort that helps me achieve it.
What do you find most challenging? In regard to MOSS, a big challenge is helping operators to understand that their Maritime Transport Operator Plan is designed for them, not us. It’s a big document and I take real satisfaction in assisting operators to create a plan that not only works for them, but adds value to their operation.
What do you like best about working for the maritime industry? I love the maritime industry. It’s in my blood, as it is for so many New Zealanders. I love the connection with the water and I have the upmost respect for everyone who works on the water. It’s deeply personal to me that everyone comes home safe, every trip. I feel very privileged to work with operators – earning their trust and respect, and helping to improve safety outcomes.
What’s your proudest moment at Maritime NZ? I’ve been fortunate enough to go on several trips to the Chatham Islands as a maritime officer. One of the things I’m really proud of in this role is the time spent at the local schools and Kohanga Reo. These children grow up surrounded by water, and over several visits, we were able to supply them with lifejackets.
What is your biggest achievement to date (personal or professional)? This would have to be my son, who is now a young adult himself. I’m immensely proud to call myself his mother. He’s making his way in the world and it’s a real pleasure to be a part of his journey.
What are the values that drive you? Being true to your word, honesty, being kind and empathic, and good old fashioned hard work.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? I love being outside, whether it’s on the water, in the mountains, camping, gardening, or tramping. I also enjoy spending time with my family and good friends… and Muay Thai (Thai boxing)! I like being challenged and Muay Thai definitely challenges me physically and mentally.
Mike Hudson
Principal Environmental Advisor
Please tell us a bit about your background… I’ve always enjoyed the natural environment – not just for activities like hiking and sailing, but also for exploring its complexity and understanding how it works. I’ve also always been aware of human impacts and change on the marine environment, especially during the 11 years I spent at sea.
Once ashore, I retrained as a marine scientist, while getting involved with a local harbourmaster as a patrol skipper. I was also part of an oil spill response team and enjoyed a stint as a marine scientist for Auckland Council. In 2008, I called the Principal Environmental Advisor at Maritime NZ for a chat – that was basically me asking ‘how do I get your job?’ – and here I am.
What does a typical day look like and what are you currently focusing on? For me, like many others at Maritime NZ, no day is the same. My focus is on our ‘Clean’ outcome, while acknowledging that safer ships also means better outcomes for the marine environment. To support this, the team I’m in provides technical and scientific advice and support across the organisation.
A day can mean answering questions from the public, training oil spill responders, getting into the detail of a marine protection policy issue, representing New Zealand at International Maritime Organization (IMO) committee or sub-committee meetings, supporting our frontline compliance people, explaining what harm means for the marine environment, and much more.
What do you enjoy most about your role? I enjoy people, and at Maritime NZ there are so many good people who are passionate about finding solutions and making a difference. I feel privileged to be in a role where I can participate in discussions and influence better outcomes for the marine environment, while drawing on my time at sea to help understand some of the practicalities involved. This can involve working directly with operators or oil spill responders, advising on compliance applications, or participating in policy analysis or even convention standards.
What do you find most challenging? Although many people care for the marine environment, the back half of the Maritime Transport Act and the marine protection rules are seen as complicated. Part of my challenge is helping to disentangle this complexity and make sense of the regulatory framework and its intent, at all levels. In terms of that intent, perhaps a bigger challenge is communicating what constitutes harm in the marine environment and justifying why controls matter when there are also safety issues and lives at risk. For me, it’s finding the balance of influencing a cultural change while also improving messaging to people and operators to enable them to actively choose to minimise their environmental footprint (in part, while applying the rules), especially with those who make a living from maritime activities and the resources our seas provide.
What do you like best about working for the maritime industry? The maritime industry is invaluable. Not unique to New Zealand, we’re dependent on shipping and the maritime industry to support our society and our lifestyles. I like working for the maritime industry at a time when mariners are becoming more aware of their role in minimising their potential impacts – not just because they want to, but because they understand that it’s necessary to help protect the marine environment
What’s your proudest moment at Maritime NZ? Every day we progress steps towards better outcomes for the marine environment, I’m proud to talk about my work here at Maritime NZ. This primarily includes the people who help deliver these outcomes, as well as being part of the ‘aha’ moments while training the next wave of regional oil spill responders, or influencing outcomes for New Zealand and protecting our oceans at Marine Environment Protection Committee meetings.
What is your biggest achievement to date (personal or professional)? Big achievements can mean different things depending on your values and where you’re at in your life. At 18, I travelled to Australia from the United Kingdom for a year with $50 to my name. I was the owner’s representative in the building of two superyachts, one as engineer (a Dutch yard), the other as master (a New Zealand yard). I later completed my doctorate as a mature-aged student with two young kids and three part-time jobs. These days, I represent New Zealand at the IMO, helping influence negotiations of better outcomes for the marine environment. Also, on my most recent spearfishing trip I caught a 500 mm butterfish!
What are the values that drive you? In all circumstances, I try to treat others how I’d like to be treated – as if I were in their shoes. This encompasses a range of values such as: being heard, fairness, respect, tolerance, and high standards. I also place a high value on a healthy natural environment, and among other things, I value the maritime industry.
On that note, here’s a quote that really resonates with me:
“We all have a responsibility to safeguard our precious marine environment and resources, on which we all depend. Governments, industries, civil society: this is our ocean, our obligation – and our opportunity.” – Mr. Dominguez (IMO Secretary General, in regard to World Ocean Day).
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? As you can probably guess, I love the sea. I enjoy marinas and all kinds of boats or ships, imagining taking them to sea and crossing oceans again, and I love a walk along a high tide line, looking at all the things washed up (it’s not uncommon for me to take a bag full of plastic off the beach).
I used to do lots of water sports. I’ll forever love sailing, after growing up in dinghies and progressing into large sailing yachts, and although I’ve been boat-less for too many years, this might change soon. Since moving to Wellington I’ve found the fun of mountain biking, and love going on adventures to spearfishing spots.
There’s too much to do in this world and I love to learn new things, whether it’s the latest science findings or a new DIY project. I recently bought a MIG welder and my first four-wheel drive!
Mark Potter
Manager, Third Party Oversight
Please tell us a bit about your background… I spent my childhood in Nottingham, later moving to North Wales to study at one of the UK’s leading marine sciences universities in Bangor. After gaining my M.Sc. in Fisheries and Aquaculture, I worked as a fisheries observer in the Falkland Islands for a year, where I spent six months rolling around the Southern Ocean on hoki trawlers, toothfish long-liners and squid jiggers. Then in 2010, following a decade of protecting and restoring river and wetland habitats across Wales, I immigrated to New Zealand with my young family. Here I’ve enjoyed policy, strategy and regulatory roles at the Ministry of Fisheries and subsequently Ministry for Primary Industries. In the nine years up to joining Maritime NZ, I was focusing on setting food safety standards and working with local councils and audit agencies. I live in Lower Hutt with my wonderful family.
Third Party Oversight is Maritime NZ’s newest team. Can you tell us why it was set up and what role it plays? The maritime sector, and the public, rightly expects that regulatory functions, including third-party regulatory functions, are both efficient and effective.
Maritime NZ takes its regulatory responsibilities seriously and established our team to focus on proactively ensuring that third-party regulation is working well. The team is here to make sure that those who are delivering regulatory functions on behalf of Maritime NZ are clear in their role, have the support they need, and are doing a good job.
Proactively identifying where any significant issues may exist allows for improvements to be made before serious harm occurs.
What does a typical day look like and what are you currently focusing on? Since starting at Maritime NZ a few months ago, I’ve been concentrating on setting up the team and shaping our work programme. Our focus is now shifting to the highest priority third-party regulators, such as surveyors. I’m looking forward to getting out and meeting the people and organisations who carry out crucial regulatory roles on behalf of Maritime NZ. My team and I want to learn more from across the maritime sector about issues that need our attention.
What do you enjoy most about your role? There are talented and committed people working across the sector. I find it rewarding to help make it easier for them to do their best work.
What do you find most challenging? Learning a new regulatory system is complex and daunting. Thankfully some other regulatory systems have similar functions. I’m excited about identifying potential opportunities to improve maritime systems by learning from good things that are happening elsewhere.
What do you like best about working for the maritime industry? Most people don’t realise what it’s like to work at sea, and the challenges it brings. Helping the maritime industry to be safe, secure, and sustainable helps us all to thrive – even those who don’t know the important role the industry plays in their lives. I’m proud to work in a public service that’s working hard to ensure that regulation is efficient and effective.
What is your biggest achievement to date? It’s a bit nerdy, but I really appreciate a good business case. I’m proud of the work I did over a few years that secured new and sustainable multimillion dollar revenue to fund a wide range of core regulatory services. These services help tens of thousands of New Zealand businesses to prosper in a complex regulatory environment, and ensure that the environment can evolve and remain fit for purpose for many years to come.
What are the values that drive you? Fairness. Connection. Courage.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? While I’m getting slower as I get older, I still enjoy trail running. Exploring New Zealand’s beautiful hills and forests with friends is good for the soul.