CONTACT | New Zealand | The Colville Project

Meet The Team

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Janet Palmer

Janet and her partner have lived in Colville 38 years. Her profession was in Education, teaching, managing and mentoring.

Janet is proud of the people from the peninsula, their efforts and what they have accomplished to make this place a unique place to live.

Janet has been a dedicated TCP Trustee since the project's inception. Her commitment reflects her strong belief in its goals and mission.

Janet admires TCP's focus on community development, its responsible governance that respects Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and its commitment to engaging all age groups to build a thriving circular economy.

Janet serves as both a TCP Trustee and a committee member for weed control. Her financial experience allows her to support the project in her role as Treasurer, ensuring the project's financial health.

Janet's dedication, experience, and passion make her a pillar of The Colville Project.

Kate Armstrong

Kate married Richard Campbell and moved to Karuna Falls and then Port Charles 25 years ago. Kate and Richard have worked locally to ensure a primary health service, support a local community health trust and St John First response team. They have both served on the local school board of trustees for years.

As an Integrative Medicine Specialist and General Practitioner, Kate champions a holistic approach to well-being. This philosophy aligns perfectly with TCP's mission to create a well-being and education village for the community.

Kate has been a driving force behind community initiatives since 2008, co-founding the Colville Community Health Trust (CCHT) and being instrumental in establishing TCP. She believes in empowering the community to build resilience, especially considering the region's remoteness and the challenges posed by frequent storms and floods.

Kate is committed to continue to work locally in a conscious collaborative cohesive manner to maintain and grow community well-being and education.

Bronwyn Blair

Moving to the region in 1992, Bronwyn has lived in the Northern Coromandel Peninsula for most of the last 30 years. Bronwyn has enjoyed a varied work-life spanning the education, community development, hospitality, and organic production sectors. She brings a background in strategic planning and policy and in collaboration.

Bronwyn is passionate about the well-being of the region's people, environment, and future and has a long history of spearheading projects for the benefit of the community. She values the importance of community care and enjoys a good laugh.

Since 2016, Bronwyn has been an integral part of The Colville Project (TCP), serving as Co-Chair since the formalisation of the TCP Charitable Trust in 2018. Bronwyn admires TCP's inclusive approach and its commitment to ensuring a sustainable future for the region's communities. She appreciates that the team prioritises getting things right over rushing to deliver results.

Frederick Church

Frederick moved to the Northern Coromandel in 2014 and became a trustee for Colville Junction in 2016 and has been on The Colville Project Trust since its inception. Frederick's professional background is diverse, encompassing experience in film & television production, working with the Department of Conservation, and even managing Driving Creek Pottery. His passion for the Coromandel extends far beyond his work, with a strong commitment to The Colville Project (TCP). The ability of TCP to empower the local community is what Frederick admires most. He's enthusiastic about the project's goals of providing housing solutions, healthcare access, and future-proofing the community hub, ensuring a thriving environment for generations to come.

Richard Campbell

Richard Campbell has been a resident of the Colville region since 1979, having moved from Feilding with his family. Professionally, Richard has built a strong foundation as a self-employed construction and earthmoving contractor. This experience has instilled a deep appreciation for the local environment. Richard serves as a dedicated volunteer trustee for TCP. What motivates Richard most about TCP? The project's dedication to empowering the community to become self-sufficient resonates deeply with him. He believes in fostering a spirit of self-reliance. Richard's unique skillset brings tremendous value to TCP. Having witnessed the region's growth over the past four decades, he offers a wealth of local knowledge. Furthermore, his years spent studying permaculture have instilled a philosophy of working with nature, not against it. This, combined with his experience in weed and pest control, road construction, and large-scale landscaping, positions him as a valuable asset to the project.

Rick Lambourne

Since 1975, Rick has called the Colville area home, establishing the Baker farm (now Karuna Falls community) with his family. While life took him around the world, the allure of community and nature drew him back.

Rick's has a Bachelor of Architecture (Hons) -his architectural expertise combined with his knowledge of land use and mapping proves invaluable for TCP's development plans.

Rick has played a pivotal role at TCP, overseeing the land development process for community facilities and housing. He acts as a bridge between TCP and consultants and contractors, ensuring smooth collaboration. What excites Rick most about TCP is the project's ambitious and forward-looking nature. He's dedicated to being part of the team that brings this vision to life for the coming generations of residents and visitors to the Northern Coromandel. Rick's extensive experience living in and actively contributing to the Colville community inform his work at TCP