ABOUT
About Albert Town Community Association
The goal of the Albert Town Community Association is to enhance the quality of life for residents by being responsive to the needs, interests, and priorities of the community. It is the function of this organisation to promote the health, safety, common good, and social welfare of the residents of Albert Town.
Albert Town Community Association (ATCA) is an Incorporated Society and follows a recently updated Constitution. The committee meets monthly and holds an AGM in January each year. Each committee member has responsibility for tasks in which they have an interest, such as trapping programmes, historical places. At each meeting, committee members report back on the progress of their projects. The current committee has a broad age range and mix of experience; some have just joined, while others have been serving the Albert Town community for many years.
New members are always welcome. The broad range of interests covered by our committee ensures an excellent spectrum of opinions is representing the general population of Albert Town residents.
ATCA has many stakeholders, including QLDC, Te Kākano, Wānaka Backyard Trapping, Bike Wānaka, Department of Conservation, ORC and Upper Clutha Tracks Trust.
Meet the committee
Lucy McGregor
Chairperson
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Since moving to Albert Town from Christchurch in 2021, Lucy and her husband Josh and dog Ted have embraced the mountain lifestyle. When she’s not tramping the hills, Lucy is enjoying the Clutha River. Lucy is passionate about environmentalism, and social equity and her current study – a Master of Sustainable Business at Otago Uni.
Elaine Kelly
Secretary
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Elaine moved to Albert Town in 2022 after spending 27 years in the Middle East. It was there she met her Kiwi husband Gray, who wanted to come home to retire. An avid gardener, Elaine is a committee member of Grow Wānaka and a director at Wānaka Rotary Club. Her passion is hiking and mountain biking and volunteering at Wānaka’s many cultural events.
Julia Greeks
Treasurer
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Julia relocated to Wānaka from Auckland in 2015 with her family before settling in Albert Town five years later, drawn to its quieter pace of life. She has been inspired by the many community organizations dedicated to enhancing the environment and supporting the local community. She now contributes her bookkeeping expertise as the treasurer of the ATCA.
Stu Mackay
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Stu relocated to Wānaka from Dunedin a decade ago with his wife, Leita. With a career in corporate and commercial business banking, Stu’s financial expertise strengthens the committee. Outside of his professional life, Stu enjoys ebiking, travelling, spending time with the grandchildren, and embarking on adventures with his caravan.
Heather Thorne
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Heather was the previous Chairperson from 2020-Jan 2025 and has done some incredible work for the community during this time. This includes firmly establishing the ATCA website and community newsletter, organising a huge amount of valuable conservation and environmental projects and tireless advocacy on behalf of the community with the council. With fifty years of living in the Upper Clutha region, including twenty in Albert Town, Heather brings a deep connection to the community. Married to Stu and with two grown-up children, she cherishes the outdoor lifestyle, volunteering for biodiversity work, reading, fishing, and caravanning.
Sue Grant
Committee member
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Sue Grant has been an active member of the Albert Town community for the past 18 years. Married to Stu, Sue is a proud parent of three adult sons and a grandmother to three grandsons. Sue’s involvement with ATCA has been extensive, and she takes great pleasure in witnessing the growth and demographic changes of Albert Town over the years.
Tom Finden
Committee member
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Tom joined our committee in 2023 and has become an enthusiastic team member. Hailing from the UK, Tom’s love for Albert Town is evident, having travelled extensively and found a special place in this corner of the world. With his enthusiasm and fresh perspective, Tom brings a unique outlook to ATCA’s projects
Tania Waghorn
Committee member
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Tania Waghorn lives in Albert Town with her husband, two children, a cat, and a dog. As an ATCA committee member, Tania appreciates the social aspect and actively contributes to creating a safer and better community for residents.
Vanessa Hills
Committee member
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After a lengthy corporate career, Vanessa Hills joined the ATCA committee two years ago. As a mother to a grown-up daughter, she fully embraces the local lifestyle, engaging in winter skiing and mountain biking, golf, and walking in the warmer months. Vanessa cherishes the friendly, small-town environment of Albert Town and has become passionate about protecting and enhancing this wonderful place she calls home.
Chris Aspinall
Committee member
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Chris Aspinall has deep roots in the Upper Clutha and has resided in Albert Town for about 16 years. Following a background in farming and mustering, Chris joined ATCA after the resignation of a former member. In his spare time, Chris enjoys immersing himself in the beauty of nature, capturing landscape photographs, and finding solace in the quiet charm of Albert Town. He is currently semi-retired.
Bruce Hebbard
Committee member
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Bruce Hebbard has longstanding family ties to the Upper Clutha region, tracing back to the 1870s, and specifically to Albert Town since 1904. Alongside his sister Alison, Bruce built and operated the Albert Town Tavern for many years. Bruce has been a committee member since 2004 and served as Chairperson from 2013 to 2017, he brings a wealth of experience and community knowledge to the team.