Ngā kaikōmihana Commissioners

Dr Sue Bidrose (Chair)

Sue was appointed as a member of the Commission in July 2022 and became Chair in December 2025. Sue holds a number of governance roles, in both local and central government, and the social and commercial sectors.

She was CEO of AgResearch Crown Research Institute from 2020-2025. Prior to that she was CE of the Dunedin City Council for seven years and held other senior management roles at the Dunedin and Waitakere City Councils, spending a total of 15 years working in Local Government. Earlier in her career she worked in central government, the for-purpose sector, and the private sector.

Bonita Bigham KSM - Ngaruahine, Te Atiawa

Bonita was appointed as a temporary member of the Commission in June 2021, a full member in July 2022, and has been reappointed until 2030.

She was elected unopposed to the Taranaki Regional Council in 2022 and 2025, and is currently its Deputy Chairperson. She was previously a councillor at South Taranaki District Council (2010-2019), and a member of the Taranaki Coastal Community Board (2019-2022).

She chaired Te Maruata, Local Government New Zealand's national collective of Māori in governance roles in local government for nine years and has served on LGNZ's Community Board Executive Committee and presently sits on its National Council as a Regional Sector representative.

Bonita is also a founding and current member of Te Puna, the Māori advisory committee to Taumata Arowai, and has previously held other ministerial appointments with different organisations.

In 2026 Bonita was awarded the King's Service Medal for services to local government and Māori.

Andrew Turner, JP

Andrew was appointed as a member of the Commission in December 2025.  He serves as Independent Chair of the Whanganui District Council’s CCO & Economic Growth Committee, Independent Chair of the Taranaki Facilities Consortium, and a Trustee of the Monte Cecilia Housing Trust. 

Andrew was Deputy Mayor of Christchurch (2016-2022), an elected Christchurch City Councillor (2013-2022), and a member of the Banks Peninsula Community Board (2010-2022).

He has previously been Independent Chair of the SmartGrowth Urban Growth Partnership in the Western Bay of Plenty, a Director of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd and ChristchurchNZ Ltd, and Board Chair of Te Toi Mahana, the community housing trust established by Wellington City Council.  Andrew holds a Certificate in Company Direction from the New Zealand Institute of Directors and is currently studying towards a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Policy from Victoria University of Wellington.