The Committee

Management Comittee

Elected Committee Members

Chair – Philip Robins

Philip is a Senior Geotechnical Engineer at Golder Associates with more than 17 years experience in the field of civil/geotechnical engineering and project management.  He has been involved in the design and construction of major infrastructure projects in New Zealand, California, Hong Kong and Southern Africa.  His qualifications include a BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Natal, Durban and an MSc in Geotechnical Engineering from University of California, Davis.  Philip is a Member of The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand and a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng).

His project experience ranges from planning and managing subsurface exploration programs including onshore/offshore drilling and sampling, and in situ testing through site evaluation to the design of deep and shallow foundations, major earthworks, fill embankments and retaining structures.  Philip is particularly proud of his contribution to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge East Span Seismic Safety Project and construction of Pier 400 Container Wharf at the Port of Los Angeles.  His construction management experience includes supervision of piled foundations, slope remediation projects, ground improvement works, major earthworks and earth-fill embankment dams.

Email: probins@golder.co.nz

Vice Chair and Treasurer – David Burns

David is an engineering geologist at AECOM NZ (formerly Maunsell and prior to that, Worley Consultants).  He has a masters degree in Earth Science from the University of Waikato and has been practicing in the fields of engineering geology and geotechnical and civil engineering for 30 years.  Projects have taken him to many out-of-the-way places in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the length and breadth of New Zealand.  Particular areas of interest are the volcanic geology of the North Island and Indonesia, natural hazard assessment, and civil engineering projects such as hydroelectric and transportation developments, particularly the early stages of site reconnaissance and feasibility assessment.

Email: david.burns@aecom.com

David Stewart

David is a Senior Geotechnical Engineer/Engineering Geologist with Opus International Consultants in Wellington.

David completed an MSc in Engineering Geology at Canterbury University and then worked in site investigations in the UK, returning to NZ to work on the Cromwell Gorge Landslides project. He then worked as an engineering geologist for GNS in Dunedin, followed by 2 years at Macraes Gold Mine. After a stint in Auckland picking up a BE, he joined Duffill Watts & Tse in Wellington in 2001 and has been at Opus since mid 2004.

Email: david.stewart@opus.co.nz

Simon Woodward

Simon has 28 years experience as a Consulting Geotechnical Engineer, and formed Geotek Services Limited in 1994.

He pioneered soil nailing here, and later, introduced Dynamic Probing into New Zealand and developed its use for assessing stabilisation requirements of low volume roads, stream and foreshore stabilisation.

The introduction of AS2870 into Section 17 of NZS3604:1999 prompted him to explore the issue of expansive soils in more depth, and saw him co-author an “Acceptable Solution for Foundations in Expansive Soils” for the Manukau City Council in 2001.

Outside of work, he is a (col-) lapsed runner, sporadic (as in both time and direction) golfer, and a born-again fisherman.   He and his wife have three children and live in Howick.

Email: simonwoodward@geotek.co.nz

Sjoerd Van Ballegooy

Email: svanballegooy@tonkin.co.nz

Distinguished Speaker Contact – Charlie Price

Charles is a Principal Geotechnical Engineer with URS, based in Christchurch. 

He has a Civil Engineering undergraduate degree from Trinity  College, Dublin, and an MSc in Engineering Geology from Imperial College, London.

His 35 years of geotechnical experience has included Resident Engineer positions on water supply and hydropower projects in Africa and Pakistan, investigation work in Ireland and offshore engineering mainly in UK and Norwegian waters.  This included most of the subsea foundations for the Foinaven Field, the first British offshore development in the ‘Atlantic Frontier’, West of the Shetlands, and first deep sea field in British waters.

He moved to New Zealand in 2003 to work on Project Aqua, and has now settled in Canterbury.

Email: charlie_price@urscorp.com

Appointed Committee Member

Management Secretary – Amanda Blakey

Amanda Blakey’s role as the society’s Management Secretary is varied. Membership of NZGS now exceeds 750, and as well as providing administration support to the NZGS Committee and Chairman, she is the first point of contact for the NZGS’s growing membership. 

International links with ISSMGE, ISRM and IAEG are also maintained by Amanda.  Amanda’s duties include responsibilities for the production of Geomechanics News, support for Branch events and presentations, organisation of NZGS short courses, assistance with awards, the production of guidelines and the NZGS Membership Information booklet.

Email: secretary@nzgs.org

Co-opted Committee Members

Dr C Y Chin

Dr C Y Chin is a Principal Geotechnical Engineer at URS based in Auckland and a former Chairman of the NZ Geotechnical Society. Educated in the UK about 20 years ago, he completed a PhD at Cambridge University and worked with Ove Arup & Partners based in UK. Further work saw him going to Brunei and Singapore prior to coming to New Zealand. He is currently chairing a NZGS sub-committee on developing Geotechnical design guidelines.

Email: cy_chin@urscorp.com

Co-Editor, NZ Geomechanics News – Kate Williams

Kate is an Engineering Geologist with Tonkin & Taylor Ltd in their Auckland office. She graduated with a BSc in Earth Science at the University of Waikato before completing a MSc in Geology at Auckland University in 2000. After graduating Kate worked for Beca until 2004 before embarking on a 2 month contract for Ova Arup and Partners Ltd in Cardiff, Wales. On return to New Zealand after touring Europe for 4 months she joined Tonkin & Taylor. Since then Kate has been actively seen climbing around many landslides throughout the North Island.

Email: kwilliams@tonkin.co.nz

Co-Editor, NZ Geomechanics News – Paul Salter

Paul did his post-graduate studies in engineering geology at Auckland University in the early 1990’s.  He worked for a small geotechnical firm in South Auckland for 3 years, before joining Woodward-Clyde Consultants (now URS New Zealand) where he has been for the past 15 years.  Six of those were spent in California, where practicing as engineering geologist and hydrogeologist required state certification.  His work typically involves providing geologic input on slope stability, dam, pipeline, tunnel, and land development projects, and providing support for geotechnical design.  Paul leads the URS Auckland Geo-Engineering team and is co-editor of the NZGS Geomechanics News.

Email: paul_salter@urscorp.com

Ex-officio Committee Members

IAEG Australasian Vice President – Alan Moon

Email: alan.moon@coffey.com

ISSMGE Australasian Vice President – Prof Michael Davies

Eemail: michael.davies@auckland.ac.nz

ISRM Australasian Vice President – Dr Anthony Meyers

Email: tony@rocktest.com.au

Editors of NZ Geomechanics News:

Kate Williams

Email: kwilliams@tonkin.co.nz

Paul Salter

Email: paul_salter@urscorp.com

NZ Liaison with International Societies

NZ Liaison with ISRM – Dr John St George

Email: j.stgeorge@auckland.ac.nz

NZ Liaison with IAEG & Convenor of 10th IAEG Congress, Auckland – Ann Williams

Email: ann.williams@beca.com

Website Manager

Gitte Abildgaard

Email: webmanager@nzgs.org