It is with great sadness the Green Party would like to acknowledge the passing of Bevan Tipene-Matua yesterday.

"Bevan is a close personal friend and was incredibly supportive of me. My heart goes out to his whānau, and his wife and children," Green Party Co-Leader Metiria Turei said today.

"His untimely death is a tragic loss to Ngati Kahungunu and the Christchurch community where he was a highly regarded and energetic figure.

"He was at his core a family man, a wonderful husband to his wife and an amazing father to his children. Our deepest sympathies go out to his whole whānau.

"I worked closely with Bevan he was an excellent campaign manager and a supportive friend.

"Bevan made a commitment to the Green Party because he saw the intrinsic connection between tikanga Māori and environmentalism.

"He bought rigorous intellectual analysis to many key areas of biotechnology and forged a strong connection between whakapapa at a scientific and community level," Mrs Turei said.