Waimea Water Ltd CEO Mike Scott to finish at dam company 

Waimea Water Ltd (WWL) CEO Mike Scott has announced in the company’s mid-year report that he will leave the dam company in June this year, now that the Waimea Community Dam is constructed and operating.  

Scott joined WWL in April 2019, bringing international engineering and strategic project development experience to the construction of the Waimea Community Dam, which was completed in 2024.  

Scott said it was a privilege to work on such a significant infrastructure project for the Tasman region. 

“The construction of the Waimea Community Dam has been a rewarding project to have been involved with – though it was not without its well-known challenges,” Scott said. “I am proud of what we achieved in difficult circumstances, particularly of the way we solved and engineered our way out of the challenges thrown at us. 

“As a resident and ratepayer myself, I am pleased that the Nelson Tasman now has a well-built contemporary dam that will serve the region for many generations to come,” he said. “The dam provides regional water security that benefits our community, river health, our primary sector, exports and economy.  

“How the dam provided the necessary water during last year’s drought clearly demonstrated the value of the dam. At the drought’s peak, we opened the valves and released 20% of the reservoir, Te Kurawai o Pūhanga, averting restrictions that would have otherwise impacted residential water supply, shut down some industries, impacted our food production and exports, and dried up parts of the river. The dam did, and is, doing its job,” he said. 

“However, I do appreciate that the cost of this water security is a lot for our small community. There is no hiding from the fact that this project has been difficult, from start to finish. We hope that future water security projects will benefit from this project’s contemporary lessons.” 

Scott acknowledged the support received during the project. “I wish to thank WWL’s shareholders and the wider community for your support over the last six years. And a big thank you to our WWL team for their tremendous effort, resilience and determination that was so instrumental in delivering the project.” 

Scott said he will now take a break and vacation before thinking about what comes next. 

WWL Board Chair David Wright said Scott has been an exemplary leader who guided WWL through COVID-19 and other project challenges. 

“Mike has been a strong leader throughout the project, focused on delivering a high-quality project for shareholders and the community. He attracted and retained the right experts for the project, finding innovative solutions to design and construction challenges. The Board wishes Mike the best for his future endeavours.”