Kaihautū o Puni Arowai (KOPA),
Our Leadership Team

Our senior leadership team Kaihautū o Puni Arowai known as ‘KOPA’, is committed to the purpose and vision of the Water Services Authority - Taumata Arowai. Working collaboratively across the Authority to set and guide our strategic direction as the water services regulator for Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora a mua. 

Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those that lead. 

Kaihautū o Puni Arowai (KOPA) 

• Kaihautū refers to the head of a department or agency. 
• Puni refers to a department or group of people. 
• Arowai speaks to the focus of the kaupapa of Taumata Arowai on the wai as a taonga, and our focus to put wai mauri, wai mana, and wai ora at the centre of everything we do. 
• KOPA is the space in front of a house and the floor space in the left corner on entering a wharenui. Normally this is the place where the local people of the marae sit and sleep. his refers to our Leadership team being at the front, connecting with our people, the people we serve and those we work with to deliver our kaupapa. 

Nō Kotirana, nō Aerani ōku tūpuna
Ki Aotearoa nei, nō te Tai Poutini, nō Tūranga tōku whānau
Ko Ōtautahi te whenua tupu
Kei Pōneke ahau e noho ana
Ko Allan Prangnell tōku ingoa
Ko au te Tumuaki o Taumata Arowai
Huri noa i te whare, tēnā koutou katoa

Allan has a wealth of leadership experience across central and local government. He was recently the Deputy Chief Executive of Te Manatū Waka (Ministry of Transport) providing leadership and advice on transport system performance. 

Prior to Te Manatū Waka, Allan was Executive Director Three Waters at the Department of Internal Affairs. Allan led and delivered the establishment of Taumata Arowai as a crown entity with an entirely new regulatory system. This included engaging with iwi nationwide on understanding and giving effect to iwi/hapū/Māori interests in water services and regulation. 

Allan has significant experience in regulation, organisational design, transformation, governance and leadership, strategic leadership, and managing stakeholder relationships within complex organisations.

Nō Ingarangi ahau
Ko Rānana tōku tūrangawaewae
Kei te Whanganui-a-Tara au e noho ana
Ko Head of Systems, Strategy & Performance tōku mahi
Ko Sara McFall tōku ingoa

Sara has a long history of working in the health system both in New Zealand and the UK.  She has joined Taumata Arowai from Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand, where she built and led a number of teams as part the reorganisation of the health sector entities. She has experience in strategic leadership, engagement, and delivery. Sara has previously led policy and corporate functions in government departments and Crown entities, including the Ministry of Health, ACC and MBIE. 

With a background in health, Sara is strongly motivated by the mission of Taumata Arowai to ensure all New Zealanders have access to safe water.

Ko Remutaka te maunga
Ko to Awa Kairangi te awa
E noho ana au ki Warrington
Ko Steve Taylor toku ingoa

Steve has been responsible for various regulatory regimes in both central government and local government. Steve led applications through regulatory processes to deliver major infrastructure investments with state owned enterprises and the private sector. 

Steve is passionate about delivering positive outcomes through regulatory systems. Before joining Taumata Arowai, Steve was at the Department of Conservation for 5 years. There, he was the Director of Regulatory Services, responsible for establishing the office of regulatory services. Before then, Steve was the Group Manager Environmental Strategy and Approvals at Transpower. He also held the role of Director of Business Transformation and Insight at Upper Hutt City Council. 

Nō Aotearoa, nō Europi ōku tūpuna
Ko Kaukau te maunga
Ko Te Moana-o-Raukawa te moana
Nō Te Whanganui a Tara ahau
Ko Ash Cornor tōku ingoa

Ash has been the General Counsel at Taumata Arowai since May 2021, following 5 years working in a Crown entity context as part of the Fire and Emergency New Zealand legal team and 15 years as a general litigator for a national law firm.  Ash has represented central and local government organisations in a wide range of courts and other dispute resolution forums, with particular experience in environmental and building-related regulatory proceedings and public law challenges against government decision-making. 

Ash is currently also the Acting Head of Corporate, overseeing teams that deliver a variety of enabling services across the organisation.

Ko Awarua tōku rohe
Ko Kai Tahu tōku iwi
Ko kai Atawhiua tōku hapū
Ko Ta Rau Aroha tōku marae
Ko Head of Community Supplies tōku mahi
Ko Sarah Howard tōku ingoa

Sarah comes to Water Services Authority - Taumata Arowai with senior leadership experience in both central and local government.  She most recently worked at Crown Infrastructure Delivery as Chief Advisor Māori.  Sarah has also provided leadership over a number of teams and functions at Te Puni Kōkiri including reestablishing their Public Sector Monitoring function and being a senior leader in their Investments puni. Sarah also comes to us with extensive experience in local government, spending time as the General Manager for Te Waka Angamua, Auckland Council’s Māori Strategy and Relations department.

Sarah is the Head of Community Supplies, overseeing teams that carry out an active programme of outreach to ensure that Water Services Authority - Taumata Arowai delivers on its legislative objectives and responsibilities to community and other private water service providers (rural and provincial suppliers) as well as being responsible for supporting the relationship between the Māori Advisory Group and senior leadership.