He was a member of the Heathcote Road Board, including its chairman. In 1880, he was chosen to represent the Heathcote district on the South Waimakariri Board of Conservators, which later became the South Waimakariri River Board. For some time, he chaired the board and retired from it in December 1887, owing to his parliamentary workload. In January 1882, he was chosen as the Heathcote Road Board representative on the Drainage Board, but he resigned from that role in May of that year.