Amber Comley, a Beca Natural Resources Engineer for 16 years, has been appointed Southern Regional Manager for New Zealand.
Founded in Auckland in 1920, Beca is New Zealand’s foremost engineering, design and planning firm. The employee-owned business has a team of over 4,000 professionals in 24 offices across eight countries, with projects delivered in 70 countries. Beca is one of the largest professional employers in the South Island, with 500 engineers, planners, designers, survey and technical teams across Christchurch, Dunedin, Nelson and Queenstown. Beca’s Christchurch office has a significant export component, working on projects in Australia and the wider Asia Pacific.
Amber Comley is a University of Canterbury graduate B.Eng (Hons) and a chartered Water and Environmental Engineer with experience across stormwater, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure across the South Island and Australia.
She succeeds Letitia Drury who has been appointed to a Beca Asia Pacific role as Group Director, Mobility and Precincts focused on land transport and development, airports, ports and marine, geotechnical, and infrastructure resilience and climate adaption.
“I’ve always been motivated by projects that strengthen community resilience and to design, engineer, and deliver solutions that make a real difference across Te Waipounamu,” says Amber.
Amber highlights projects since she started with Beca in Christchurch in 2010 include post-earthquake water supply and wastewater response work, a two-year secondment to the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (SCIRT) managing and working on conceptual and detailed design of rebuild projects, secondment to Waimakariri District Council's Flood Team delivering short and long-term flood mitigation initiatives, the Heathcote River bank stabilisation geotech and ecology, and working in the Water4Good to help deliver resilient water solutions for Melbourne Water.
“I’m from Nelson, and moved to Christchurch 20 years ago. This city is buzzing, it’s so cool, the South Island is pumping, it’s lively and buoyant, the connection with nature is immediate with green corridors to the waterways and the ocean. It’s very livable. I have a 10-minute commute on a bike to Beca on High St.”
Beca’s Southern region has specialist disciplines in water design and management, building services, healthcare, seismic resilience, aquatics, risk assessment and project cost management.
“Engineers help deliver solutions that meet the everyday needs and aspirations of communities,” says Amber. “We put the civil into civilisation.”
About Beca in Christchurch:
Beca’s legacy in Christchurch, shaped through landmark programmes and key industrial clients, positions us strongly for the next decade of transformation across Waitaha Canterbury and wider Te Waipounamu. As the region continues to grow, diversify and face emerging challenges, our role is shifting from rebuilding the past to shaping a resilient, future‑fit South Island.
Looking ahead, we’re building on our proven strengths in health, infrastructure recovery, urban regeneration and resilient design to deliver on the regional priorities we have identified: water, transport systems, energy, defence and national security, and cross-industry partnerships (private-public, consultant-contractor, transport-utilities). These priorities position Christchurch as both the operational anchor for the South Island and a foundation for innovation, capability development and market growth.
With acute experience in complex water programmes, Beca will continue supporting councils, new water entities and hybrid service models as the Local Water Done Well framework evolves. Capabilities in this area are essential as the South Island faces increasing natural hazard risks and ongoing population growth. We will continue supporting NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Christchurch City Council, Selwyn District Council and other regional partners to strengthen key transport routes, improve network performance, and support freight, tourism and economic productivity and rapid expansion in the region.
We are also deepening collaboration with Ngāi Tahu, Business Canterbury, regional councils, universities and key delivery partners to shape solutions that reflect local aspirations and support long‑term prosperity. As Christchurch’s innovation sectors expand, including renewable energy, hydro upgrades, defence and aerospace, we believe we are well positioned to bring multidisciplinary expertise that helps organisations navigate change and deliver the projects that will define the South Island’s future.
Our history in Christchurch, and 100+ year history as a New Zealand headquartered employee-owned business, gives us a deep insight into the region’s needs and opportunities, and highlights our commitment to the communities where we work and live. As the city continues to evolve, we remain committed to working alongside clients to deliver resilient infrastructure, thriving communities and sustainable growth for generations to come.