Register of Development Contributions Commissioners
Development Contributions Commissioners have been appointed by the Minister of Local Government under section 199F of the Local Government
Act 2002.
Name
Biography
Term of appointment
Stephen Abley
Steve Abley is the Managing Director of Abley Transportation Consultants. Steve is a Chartered
Professional Engineer and Fellow of IPENZ. He has extensive engineering experience and has
assisted two councils with their development contributions policies.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Mark Apeldoorn
Mark Apeldoorn is currently a Director of the Traffic Design Group. Mark has extensive
experience in civil engineering with particular expertise in traffic engineering design, urban
design in the transport environment, city centre revitalisation and transport supply and demand
management.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Helen Atkins
Helen Atkins is currently an environmental and local government law specialist at the Atkins
Holm Majurey law firm. Helen is a RMA commissioner, a current member of the Hazardous
Substances and New Organisms Committee of the EPA and a board member of Water NZ. She
has held executive roles on the Resource Management Law Association and the NZ Planning
Institute. Helen has advised developers, councils and central government agencies in relation to
local government matters, including financial policies such as development contributions.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Simon Berry
Simon Berry is one of the founding partners of Berry Simons law firm and specialises in
environmental law. He has been in practice as a specialist environmental law barrister and prior
to that spent many years as a partner in two law firms.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Alan Bickers
Alan Bickers is a professional civil engineer and former Chief Executive of Tauranga City Council.
He is an accredited RMA commissioner, arbitrator, mediator and adjudicator. He served as a
member of the Ministerial Expert Advisory Group on Local Government Infrastructure.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Fraser Campbell
Fraser Campbell is the current Director of Campbell Consulting Limited, an engineering
consultancy, and a RMA commissioner. Prior to this, Fraser worked at Palmerston North District
Council in several managerial roles.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
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Andy Carr
Andy Carr is currently the Director of Carriageway Consulting, a specialist transport engineering
consultancy, as well as a RMA commissioner. Andy has extensive expertise in assessing the
transportation effects of land use development for both the private sector and local authorities,
and is a national committee member of the Resource Management Law Association having
previously chaired the Canterbury Branch of the organisation.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Paul Cooney
Paul Cooney is the Partner of law firm CooneyLeesMorgan and acts as Senior Legal Advisor to
several territorial authorities. Paul is a RMA commissioner and prior to this was a member of the
Casino Control Authority. Paul has extensive experience before the Environment and High Court
on Local Government/RMA issues.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Alan Dormer
Alan Dormer is a barrister who specialises in public, environmental and local government
law. He is a long-established Hearings Commissioner and a former teacher on the “Making
Good Decisions” programme for RMA Commissioners. He is a Past President of the Resource
Management Law Association and the only person to have been awarded both the RMLA’s
“Outstanding Person Award” and the NZ Planning Institute’s AO Glasse Award for Outstanding
Services to Planning.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Tauiliili Fatu Fuatavai
Tauiliili Fatu Fuatavai is a Civil Engineer and Director (owner) of several hospitality businesses in
Auckland. He invests in Commercial and Residential property, and was very involved in his own
residential developments in the late 1990s to the early 2000s. Prior to this he worked as a Site
Engineer on various high rise buildings & Civil Engineering projects for a few publicly listed
construction companies.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Harriet Fraser
Harriet Fraser is currently an Independent Consultant at Harriet Fraser Traffic Engineering and
Transportation Planning. Harriet has extensive engineering experience with particular focus on
traffic engineering and transportation planning. She is a Chartered Professional Engineer and
RMA Commissioner.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Brian Hasell
Brian Hasell is a Professional Engineer with extensive experience with councils and is a former
Chief Executive of Ashburton District Council. He was the Wellington Regional Manager for
Transit New Zealand. Brian is a RMA Commissioner and has just completed 12 years in a
voluntary role as Chair of Disciplinary Committees for the Institution of Professional Engineers
NZ.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
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David Hutchison
David Hutchison is currently the Chief Civil Engineer at Downer New Zealand, a role he has held
since 2008. He has more than 40 years’ experience as a civil engineer in both construction and
design of new work and maintenance work for road and industrial pavements, civil structures
and small buildings. David has presented at consent hearings and has also acted as an
Independent Commissioner for local and regional authorities.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Susan Jackson
Susan Jackson is experienced both as a civil engineer and local government councillor. She is
currently a RMA commissioner, self-employed and recently completed a Graduate Diploma in
Business Studies (Dispute Resolution). Has extensive farming experience.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Steven Kerr
Steven Kerr is currently a Principal Planner, with expertise in planning and economic analysis at
Montgomery Watson Harza New Zealand. His experience includes local government, corporate
and consultancy environments from his time at CPG/Spiire, Telecom New Zealand Limited, BECA
and at several New Zealand territorial authorities, including Upper Hutt City Council, Taupo
District Council and Tauranga City Council. Steven is also a RMA commissioner.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
David McLernon
David McLernon is currently a Director and Christchurch Manager of Octa Associates Limited, a
nationwide specialist independent project management consultancy. David is a Chartered
Professional Engineer (CPEng), Project Management Professional (PMP) and RMA Commissioner
holding the Chair’s endorsement. He has extensive project management experience both
overseas and in NZ, managing major projects up to $500 million in value for commercial clients,
central government and local authorities including Christchurch and Dunedin City Councils and
Environment Canterbury.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Philip Milne
Philip Milne is a lawyer with many years’ experience in the local government and environmental
law field acting for private, government and local authority clients. He has considerable
experience as an independent RMA commissioner. He is currently a practicing Barrister at
Waterside Chambers in Wellington.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Graham Nielsen
Graham Nielsen is currently a Management Consultant for SPM Assets Limited. He has
extensive experience in engineering, and has local government knowledge from years working
for various councils in the Auckland region. As a consultant Graham has advised councils
throughout New Zealand and Australia on asset management, infrastructure funding, and
development contributions matters.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
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Pamela Peters
Pamela Peters is currently a consultant based in Auckland, working nationally as a RMA
commissioner and chair. Pamela was the Mayor of Whangarei from 2004 to 2007 and was
Deputy Mayor and a councillor for nine years prior to that. Her local government background
provides an understanding of the provision of infrastructure and policy development. Pamela’s
experience as a RMA Commissioner includes both large and complex infrastructure projects and
smaller scale developments at a local or neighbourhood level.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Gary Rae
Gary Rae is an experienced planning consultant based in Nelson and a RMA hearings
commissioner. Gary Rae was previously a regional planner for Transit New Zealand, and has
worked in planning and management positions for Christchurch City Council and Wellington City
Council. Gary has also assisted several Councils in the upper South Island and lower North Island
areas with planning consultancy and commissioner services.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Cindy Robinson
Cindy Robinson practises law as a barrister and is a RMA hearings commissioner. Cindy is also
the Director of a resource management consultancy firm. She has experience as a board
member and chairman of Arts Centre of Christchurch Trust and was previously a partner at
Duncan Cotterill law firm.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Gregory Shaw
Gregory Shaw is currently the Chief Executive of The Consulting Group 2006 Limited, Geotech
Professionals 2006 Ltd and Surveying Professionals Ltd. Gregory, a Chartered Professional
Engineer, has specialist knowledge in civil, structural, coastal and geotechnical engineering and
also land surveying and subdivision design. His skills also include experience in negotiation and
problem solving. His work experience includes time spent in Samoa, Niue, Fiji, Saudi Arabia and
China.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Craig Shearer
Craig Shearer has specialist knowledge in planning, and local government knowledge from
experience working for regional councils, including many years at Auckland Regional Council. He
is currently the owner of Shearer Consulting Limited, providing input in to resource
management processes.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Darrell Statham
Darrell Statham is the Principal of Statham Consulting Limited, a RMA commissioner, and a
professional engineer with extensive experience in civil design, economic evaluation and project
management for traffic/transportation and roading projects. Darrell’s experience has been
gained from both the Client and Consultant perspective incorporating extensive Project
Management, Design Management and Contract Management experience.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
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Mark St Clair
Mark St Clair is a Principal and Co-Director of Hill Young Cooper Limited, a strategic resource
management and environmental policy and planning consultancy. He is also a RMA
commissioner, a member of the New Zealand Planning Institute and the Resource Management
Law Association. Mark has worked previously as both a Senior Planning Consultant at GHD and
has held policy and planning positions at Manukau City Council and the then Lower Hutt City
Council.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
Gina Sweetman
Gina Sweetman is currently an independent planning and policy consultant at Sweetman
Planning Services, as well as a RMA commissioner. Gina is familiar with planning and Māori
issues through her work with central and local government and with iwi/Māori. She has
previously worked at Auckland City, North Shore City, Manukau City and Waikato District
Councils, and planning consultancies Beca and Barker and Associates. Gina is also a former three
term councillor on the New Zealand Planning Institute and is editor of the Planning Quarterly.
8/8/2014 – 8/8/2017
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