The duties might not be overly arduous but Kauru Hill rural water scheme chairman sees his involvement as helping keep connections in the district he has always called home.
Bryce and his wife Janice farm deer at Kauru Hill, the hill itself a notable landmark inland from Oamaru. It was his involvement with the likes of the Kauru Hill water scheme and Corriedale Water Management which operates the water supplies for the Awamoko, Kauru Hill, Tokarahi and Windsor rural schemes, that got him off the farm, he said.
Without that, he would be much more inclined to stay on the farm all the time, and it was good to talk to someone else. He had also got to know people both within his own district, and outside, that he otherwise would not know.
There was a small scheme committee at Kauru Hill and they did their "wee bit"; anyone with water problems would call and they would swing into gear to sort it.
Sometimes those calls came two or three times a month and it was often basically what they did on their own farms anyway. The main priority was ensuring stock water.
Bryce’s nominator said the scheme was a "great boon" to the community; he kept the pumps running efficiently and was frequently called on at short notice to the scheme.
Like many rural communities, Kauru Hill had changed over the years from when "everybody knew everybody", but those living there were now getting a bit more clever, using technology, to keep engaged.
That was the good thing about the water scheme; catching up with people and, if not in person, then contact was maintained through email.
Bryce enjoyed meeting and talking to people, "having a good chinwag" and finding out their issues and what they were dealing with.
"You come home and don’t feel so hard done by," he said.
In his younger years, he was heavily involved in New Zealand Young Farmers, including a stint as national president from 1999-2000.
Another highlight was helping organise the Young Farmer of the Year grand final in Timaru in 2002. Elder daughter Renata is now a member of the Five Forks Club, which was his and Janice’s old club.
While he put a lot into the organisation, he got a lot more out of it.
"I think it’s like the old saying, the more you put in, the more you get back. That’s exactly what happened. I went places I never would have [usually] gone."
It was at a national executive meeting when he heard a guest speaker talk about on-farm QEII covenants and it whetted his interest.
Nestled alongside the Kauru River, the Burnett family planted a 19ha block of native bush with a QEII covenant to protect the land for the future which had contributed to a growth in native birdlife and regeneration of bush.
Bryce is a committee member of the North Otago A&P Association and was president in its 150th anniversary year.
For decades, A&P shows had brought the country to town and that continued to be the case. It was also an opportunity to get the community involved.
The Burnett family has been producing venison for more than 40 years.
Bryce’s father Russell made the move into deer during the early stages of the industry, buying 30 hinds from pioneer Mark Acland in 1982 to add to his sheep farming operation.
Bryce and Janice took over in 2000 and, two years later, the couple decided to focus solely on deer on the 360ha property.
Several years ago, they had a stint selling their venison direct to consumers, a venture which also included their daughters Renata and Shannon.
Bryce particularly enjoyed talking to market-goers at the Oamaru Farmers Market and having people coming to the stall "to talk to the cocky about his farm".
— Sally Rae
