About the Transport & Infrastructure Team

The Transport & Infrastructure work is being led by Courtney Hart and Tom Hopkins under workstream lead Simon Moran.

Tom Hopkins

Tom Hopkins is a civil engineering technician and project manager. After graduating from Lincoln University with a Bachelor of Parks and Recreation Management in 1990 he spent several years working seasonally in the ski industry and for DOC, as well as in Antarctica. Up until joining the Milford Opportunities Project he had worked full time for DOC for 25 years managing a range of exciting projects including hut replacements such as Mueller and Plateau Huts at Aoraki Mt Cook National Park and the Paparoa and Pike29 Memorial Tracks in Paparoa National Park. Over this time he also gained a Diploma in Engineering (Civil) and experience in undertaking significant community and stakeholder engagement.

Tom is a keen tramper, skier, and mountain biker, but now mostly only goes mountaineering or fly fishing from the comfort of the couch. Professionally, he’s never more excited than when he’s involved in projects that facilitate peoples’ enjoyment of New Zealand’s wild places.

Courtney Hart

Courtney Hart, hailing originally from Northern Ireland, pitched up in New Zealand seven years ago with a job as a Civil Engineer in Wellington, excited for a new adventure. Learning the ropes of the New Zealand construction industry, she got a wide range of experience working on projects in road safety, rail safety, and three waters. Working with the Safe Road Alliance and KiwiRail on designing their Level Crossings to be safer was a particular highlight.

After three years Courtney then felt the call south and moved to Queenstown where she worked as Consultant Rep on a large wastewater pump station project and managing (and occasionally designing) a portfolio of projects for a local energy distribution company. Courtney joined the Milford Opportunities Project in January 2023 and is excited to be involved in a project so early on rather than spending most of her time standing in a cold trench on site! Outside work Courtney enjoys skiing, hiking, cycle holidays and generally getting stuck into whatever is happening in the region.