Sir Stephen Gerard "Tipene" O'Regan ONZ CRSNZ[1] (born 23 September 1939) is a New Zealand academic, company director and former chairman of the Ngāi Tahu Māori Trust Board.

[2] In 1974, he stood alongside his father Rolland on the Labour Party ticket for the Wellington Harbour Board.

In the 1994 Queen's Birthday Honours, O'Regan was appointed a Knight Bachelor, for services to the Māori people and the community.

The proposal had Department of Conservation approval but there was opposition because the tunnel would be in a National Park and UNESCO World heritage area.

[6] O'Regan argued the "absurdity of spending over 11 hours in a day to go to Milford from Queenstown",[6] but in July 2013, the Minister of Conservation, Nick Smith, declined the proposal because of significant environmental impacts.