Gary Ryburn
Bay of Plenty Regional Council
I am one of the two investigators with Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
With a background in Policing, I am passionate about supporting those impacted by offending and delivering meaningful environmental and regulatory outcomes.
Over the past four years, I have led numerous complex environmental investigations involving discharges to air, land, and water, preparing cases that have resulted in successful prosecutions for environmental offending.
Sharing Is Caring: Lifting Compliance Outcomes Through Cross-Regional Secondments
This presentation demonstrates the value of sharing compliance capability through the secondment of an investigator from Bay of Plenty Regional Council to Gisborne District Council, and how targeted collaboration can deliver mutual benefits for both the host and home organisations.
A maternity cover vacancy created an opportunity to work across regional boundaries. The secondment delivered immediate operational value, additional capacity to progress active files, and an independent perspective on complex matters. This helped maintain progress and strengthened confidence in compliance outcomes.
The presentation will show how the secondment supported day-to-day compliance functions, including progressing investigations and strengthening enforcement pathways. It will also demonstrate a platform for mutual learning and the sharing of best practice. The investigator gained valuable exposure to different regional contexts, stakeholder dynamics, and problem-solving approaches, while Gisborne staff benefited from new insights, tools, and ways of working.
We will reflect on how secondments can act as a low-cost, high-value development opportunity, supporting staff growth, strengthening organisational resilience, and promoting consistency in compliance practice.
When workloads are high and risk is real, the challenge is not just capacity, it’s maintaining momentum and making sound decisions under pressure. This presentation makes the case that sharing experienced people is a pragmatic way to achieve both.