Water, leadership and the courage to change course

Water, leadership and the courage to change course

Water sits at the heart of who we are in Aotearoa. It shapes our childhood memories, it sustains our whenua, and it quietly underpins every part of our daily lives. Yet for something so essential, the topic of ‘water’ can be contentious. It is practical, political, scientific, cultural and deeply emotional. And because every one of us depends on it, we all hold views, fears, and hopes about its future.

Water posts the ultimate test of leadership principles. As Keri Johnston, Outgoing Chair of Irrigation NZ, AWDT Co Chair, water engineer, and Escalator alumna explains, water is not only a resource management challenge. it is a leadership challenge that defines our future.

We caught up with Keri recently to hear her thoughts about what’s happening in New Zealand’s water journey. What emerged was not a tale of decline, but a powerful reminder of what could be possible if leaders step forward with honesty and vision.

It’s easy to take water for granted

New Zealand is blessed with water. But that blessing has also created a blind spot. We expect it to flow from every tap, be available for every farm, and remain abundant because it always has been.

Water may feel limitless, but it is not. Some aquifers and rivers are stressed. Some catchments are struggling. Climate change is amplifying drought and flood in ways we have never faced before. And because our food and fibre sector depends on reliable water, our national resilience depends on how well we care for it.

Keri’s take is that acknowledging this is not pessimistic. Indeed, it is courageous, because if we want things to change, we must see things as they truly are.

Sound bites have shaped the story more than facts

We all remember the phrase ‘dirty dairying’. It was short, sticky, and powerful. It also shaped public perception in a way that has never been fully reset.

Many New Zealanders still believe that water quality issues come down to farming alone. Keri’s perspective is that the truth is far more complex. Urban systems contribute. Infrastructure failures contribute. And in many catchments, farming is already working incredibly hard to improve outcomes.

The challenge is that perceptions have become louder than progress. To lead well in this space, we need to rebuild understanding and connection. Facts alone are never enough. People must fully understand the value, and challenges of water before they can meet the complexity of its care.

Infrastructure is a shared responsibility

Water storage is often misunderstood. When people hear storage, they think irrigation, dairy… and pollution.

Keri explains that this chain of assumptions is holding the country back. Water storage allows us to take water when it is plentiful, reduce pressure when it is scarce, buffer against floods, and support environmental and community outcomes.

But storage, distribution and protection cost money. For decades, the model has been user pays, which has created isolated, single purpose schemes. Keri offers another perspective in that perhaps the future requires something different – collectively funded and governed shared infrastructure that benefits entire communities and entire ecosystems. A shift from siloed action to national initiative.

Politics cannot solve this alone

The biggest tension in water leadership is the misalignment between the timescales of water assets and the timeframes of political cycles. Some water infrastructure decisions must stand for fifty years or more. Political settings change much more frequently. This reality makes long term investment driven by government almost impossible.

As Keri notes, water is political. Governments change direction. Regulation moves back and forward. And therefore, people and organisations become hesitant to act because there is too much opportunity for future reversal. This creates paralysis. And paralysis is the opposite of leadership.

The solution could well be water leadership that sits outside of government. Independent, collaborative, future focused, and unafraid to look fifty years ahead.

Collaboration has become the casualty

One of the most striking parts of our conversation was this. When the sector feels under threat, industry bodies work together. When the pressure comes off, the drive for collaboration fades. Groups retreat to their corners. Ego and patch protection creep in. Government hears from many voices instead of one clear chorus. This is not a failure of capability. It is a failure of culture. But, culture can change.

Keri believes that younger leaders hold enormous promise here. They are environmentally literate and comfortable with change. They aren’t afraid to challenge old patterns, and importantly, they’re inclined to collaborate. But they need space at the table, which can only be made by the existing leaders in the sector.

Success requires every one of us

Keri’s definition of success is simple. Every New Zealander understands why water is important. Every community feels connected to it. And the systems, structures and leadership around water reflect its true importance to our wellbeing, environment and economy.

Grassroots catchment groups are already proving what is possible. When communities are trusted, resourced and supported, they can restore waterways, shift practice, and build social licence from the ground up. These groups show that change does not always need to wait for government.

A call to the AWDT community

We ended our conversation by asking Keri what message she would share with members of the AWDT community who feel called to make a difference.

She said “Do not underestimate what you bring. If you care deeply, if you see possibility, or sense that things could be better, then step forward. Every leader feels uncertain. Every leader feels the weight of responsibility. But if you don’t step in, someone else will, and the outcome may be far less hopeful.”

Water leadership in Aotearoa needs invested, passionate people. It needs those who are willing to speak with clarity, to collaborate with courage, and hold the long view even if the short view is easier.

The story of water has always been the story of life. But the story of water leadership can become the story of our shared future. And every person who steps into this space brings us closer to a future where we honour the privilege of water and protect it with the care it deserves.