Source: Environmental Protection Authority
Lian Butcher has been appointed as the next Chief Executive of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), effective 1 July 2026.
Ms Butcher joins the EPA from Greater Wellington Regional Council, where she has been Group Manager of the Environment Group, her second tenure with Greater Wellington.
Previously, she was Deputy Director-General, Partnerships and Engagement, at the Department of Conservation.
Announcing the appointment, EPA Board Chair Barry O’Neil says Lian Butcher is an accomplished and experienced leader who brings a proven ability to lead complex organisations and work collaboratively with agencies and stakeholders to achieve results.
“Lian has led major programmes of change and has a strong track record in building high-performing organisational cultures in the public sector,” he says.
“The EPA continues to evolve in its role as an environmental regulator.
“We are focused on innovation and strengthening our engagement with stakeholders. Lian is well placed, given her experience and leadership approach, to lead the organisation through this next phase,” says Barry O’Neil.
Originally from the United Kingdom, Ms Butcher holds a Master of Science in Fisheries and Shellfish Biology and a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from the University of North Wales.
She began her career with the Environment Agency in Wales in 2001, working on the European Union’s Habitats Directive, before moving to New Zealand in 2010 to join the Ministry for the Environment.
Lian Butcher will join the EPA in June to support a transition into the Chief Executive role, formally commencing on 1 July 2026.
She succeeds Dr Allan Freeth, who concludes nearly 11 years of service with the EPA in June.
Barry O’Neil says the EPA Board acknowledges Dr Freeth’s significant contribution to public service in New Zealand and his leadership of the EPA over this time.
This has included establishing new regulatory functions and implementing legislative changes, while ensuring decisions are grounded in robust, evidence-based processes.
