A new Wānaka resident is one of 183 recipients of the New Year 2022 Honours List: Lewis (Lou) Sanson has been appointed a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order for services to conservation and public service.

Lou has had a public service career of 47 years, including six years as conservator for Southland Conservancy, 11 years as CEO of Antarctica New Zealand, and eight years as director-general of conservation.

He started working on conservation in Westland Tai Poutini National Park, first as a track cutter in the Copland Valley in 1971, then as an environmental forester with the New Zealand Forest Service at the Forest Research Institute. From 1987 he helped set up the Department of Conservation (DOC) as Invercargill’s first district conservator then moved to head up Antarctica New Zealand in 2002, before returning to DOC in September 2013 as director-general.

He led the DOC to successfully deliver projects, while maintaining positive relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, including community groups and organisations, iwi, central, regional and local government, business partners, private landowners and 4,000 concession holders. 

Lou focused on improving biodiversity and systems to prevent the continued loss of taonga species. His strong relationships enabled him to successfully deliver major regional projects such as the establishment of the new Rakiura National Park on Stewart Island, Hump Ridge Track Project with the Tuatapere Community, the world’s largest rat eradication project on Campbell Island, and Tai Timu Tai Pari Marine Spatial Plan for the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. 

He was Crown negotiator for the Ngai Tahu Deed Settlement Act on the Titi lslands/Whenua Hou Settlements; has helped New Zealand meet obligations in various international conservation agreements; and been a leader in responding to significant natural disasters nationally.

Lou has overseen the launch of the Predator Free New Zealand Strategy and the Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy and encouraged more investments in job-generating conservation projects

On his retirement in May this year he told DOC staff he was particularly proud of the work to establish Rakiura National Park and the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands World Heritage Area.

He also noted how DOC has “shifted its relationships with whānau, hapū and iwi around Aotearoa modelled on DOC’s Te Kaupapa”, and celebrated the securing of increased funding for conservation, including the $500M Jobs for Nature fund: “a huge amount of money that will lead to conservation outcomes we could only previously have dreamed of”.

When announcing his retirement, Lou said he would be looking for other opportunities including environmental and social governance, as well as volunteering.

Lou received the New Zealand Antarctic Medal in the 2015 New Year’s Honour List.

See the full 2022 honours list here.

PHOTO: Supplied