Meet the Boffa Miskell Biosecurity Team: Brent Rohloff

Based out of the Dunedin office, Brent Rohloff manages complex biosecurity projects. His hands-on involvement with staff and contractors ensures excellent outcomes for our clients.

Brent grew up on a hill country sheep farm in Southland. “I spent most of my spare time wandering around in the bush block out the back trapping possums and shooting rabbits,” he says.

“I was always attracted to the hills, bush, rivers and lakes; tramping and fishing; and learning about the natural world. At university, it dawned on me that I could combine these things to make a career and protect our biodiversity and farming systems by controlling invasive species.”

Since joining Boffa Miskell in 2020, he has been involved in planning and delivering biosecurity services for Land Information New Zealand (terrestrial weeds and predators), Otago Regional Council (wallabies and wilding conifers) and, for the last six months, he’s been the project manager for the Mid Dome Wilding Conifer Control Programme – a project that Boffa Miskell has held since 2014.

“As well as the usually operational activities, I’ve been aiding the Mid Dome Wilding Tree Charitable Trust with their strategy review, collecting data, and providing advice,” says Brent.

The long-term goal of the new strategy is the reduce coning trees down to zero and pass maintenance control over the landholders by 2034.  However, funding from central government will be a significant issue.

“With considerable reductions for the next few years, it’s likely that the hand-over date will be pushed back,” Brent continues. “I’m getting into planning for the significantly reduced programme and reporting to the Trust what the long-term impact will be.”

Biosecurity project manager Marcus Girvan says the Mid Dome project is in safe hands with Brent.

“Brent is an exceptional project manager with a wealth of experience in handling large and complex projects. His skills have been honed over the years, and he is adept at managing risks and making strategic decisions that ensure project success. Brent’s expertise in project planning and resource allocation enables him to leverage all available resources to achieve outstanding results. His dedication to his work and his ability to motivate and inspire his team make him an asset to our organisation”.

Brent graduated from Lincoln University with Bachelor of Science (Conservation and Ecology) in 1999. Along with his academic knowledge Brent’s awareness of health, safety, and risk management within a biosecurity context is an essential requirement for his role; as are his skills in engagement and contractor management.

Looking to the future, and what the biggest challenges might be, Brent says, “It’s same as every region: climate change. The impact is somewhat unknown, but changing conditions will lead to the expansion of existing weed species and new weeds being able to acclimatise and thrive in Otago. We are already seeing that with some growth of existing infestations, and in the difficulty of rabbit control with due to increasingly mild winters.

“Rabbits have been a major problem in Otago for 150 years, and continue to be. There are limited tools and many are not suitable for the increasingly large peri-urban environment, where lifestyle blocks prevent the use of large-scale toxins and shooting,” he continues. “To their credit, Otago Regional Council have started engaging with these communities with the view to develop formal community groups that can co-ordinate control across many properties.”

When he’s not out in the field, or in the office, Brent is usually … out in the field!

“You will find me on my beautiful lifestyle block on the side of Saddle Hill, Dunedin. My family and I are flat-out establishing our own food sources, and looking after a gully of regenerating kanuka forest, all whilst battling blackberry, sycamore, pines, rabbits and possums… and having great fun doing it,” he says.

“Otherwise I’m out hunting and fishing in the hills, lakes and rivers of Otago and Southland – I really haven’t grown up at all!”