Sally Dicey
Principal Environmental and Community Planning Specialist | Team Lead
Ōtepoti Dunedin📍
Sally is a highly experienced project manager with deep roots in community-based environmental work and a strong background in resource management law. Having first joined Whirika in 2015 during its formative years, she returned in 2021, bringing with her a wealth of experience gained through years of leading complex projects.
Her career has spanned grassroots initiatives and large-scale infrastructure projects alike, working in partnership with mana whenua, community and catchment groups, councils, landowners, and other key stakeholders. Sally is particularly skilled in developing and implementing integrated environmental management plans - including reserve management plans, catchment strategies, and landscape-scale restoration frameworks.
Sally takes a values-based approach to her work, with a strong focus on collaboration and meaningful engagement. She is passionate about working with communities and individuals to use resources wisely and sustainably—recognising the need to be productive while finding positive ways to interact with the environment. Central to her work, is the belief that lasting change comes from taking people on the journey, so they can take ownership of environmental stewardship and work with the environment, rather than against it.
Notable recent projects include the Rakiura Tītī Islands Management Plan, which supports intergenerational kaitiakitanga of culturally significant islands; the Hokonui Restoration Plan, developed in close collaboration with iwi and the rural sector; and the Dream South D Community Plan, which translated grassroots engagement into a shared regional vision. Sally also played a key role in developing the Toitū Te Hakapupu / Pleasant River Catchment Action Plan, outlining practical, community-informed pathways for long-term environmental stewardship.
Outside of work, she enjoys being in nature with her whānau—surfing, biking, tramping, and gardening—and is on a lifelong journey of learning te reo Māori.
Qualifications:
Bachelor of Laws with Honours (LLB(Hons)), University of Otago, 1997
Master of Regional & Resource Planning, University of Otago, 2004
Making Good Decisions Accreditation (Certification for RMA Decision Makers), WSP Environmental Training Centre, 2018
Get In Touch!
sally.dicey@whirika.co.nz
021-154-6568