On 15 October 2021, the panel convener appointed the expert consenting panel to decide the application. The members of the panel are:

Alan Webb (chair)

Alan Webb is a Barrister specialising in resource management and local government issues. Before he was a prosecutor in Wellington, and later undertook commercial litigation with a national law firm based in Auckland.

Alan has over 30 years' experience and, although still based in Auckland, provides services throughout New Zealand. He advises on all aspects on environmental, resource management, local government, public law, administrative and enforcement issues.

He acts as counsel for developers, property holdings companies, industrial services companies and community groups undertaking a wide range of projects, as well as regularly appearing in council hearings, the Environment Court, the High Court and in the Appellate jurisdiction. Alan is a member of the national committee of the Resource Management Law Association.

Les Simmons (member)

Les is an Independent Hearings Commissioner (chair accredited). Since 2006 he has been appointed by councils, primarily as a chair, in relation to resource consent hearings, plan changes and district plan reviews. He was a member of the Auckland Unitary Plan Independent Hearings Panel.

Prior to his time as a hearings commissioner, Les had 10 years' experience as a planner in local government and 20 years as a planning and resource management consultant.

Steven (Tipene) Wilson (member)

Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Ngāti Apakura, Ngāti Tura Te Ngākau

Steven has extensive experience across a wide range of fields and he is well used to applying current business thinking and theory to market place realities. He is an accredited Independent Hearings Commissioner and chair of the Environmental Protection Authority’s HSNO Committee. He has been on a number of hearings panels and decision-making committees. Established in 2005, Steven is the Chief Executive Officer of his own company which has a focus on maximising opportunity, creating value and building relationships in Māori organisations and in the ability of corporate and government organisations to work productively with Māori, particularly across the natural resources sector.

With more than 17 years’ experience, his skills are transferable and have been applied in Māori organisations to support them in achieving innovative, sustainable results, and as part of the senior management team of a non-Māori non-governmental organisation. Fluency in Māori and English serve well in facilitation and dispute resolution roles. Governance, project planning, project management, strategic planning, critical analytical thinking and successful applications for funding are other areas of strength. He currently undertakes projects for his hapū and iwi.

Register of interests

The register records all relevant panel members' interests and is updated when necessary throughout the consenting process.

View the register of interest updated on 1 November 2021 (PDF, 153KB)