On 3 February 2022, the panel convener appointed the panel to decide the application. The panel consists of: 

Dr Joan Forret (Chair) 

Joan is an experienced resource management and alcohol licensing specialist lawyer and is a partner of Harkness Henry, a Hamilton-based law firm. She regularly appears before the Environment Court, the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority, and at Local Authority and District Licensing Committee hearings.

Joan advises a wide range of commercial and individual clients whose interests include resource consents, planning and plan changes, RMA enforcement and alcohol licensing. Joan’s clients include developers, quarry owners, coastal marinas, farmers and iwi incorporations. 

Joan is a member of the University of Waikato Council, a member of the Central Regional Committee of the Property Council and co-convenor of the 2022 conference for the Resource Management Law Association. She holds a PhD and a Bachelor of Laws from Waikato University and a BSc (chemistry) and BA (history) from Otago University. 

David Hill (Member) 

David Hill is an experienced RMA practitioner and has worked under the Act in various capacities since its commencement in 1991 (and with its preceding legislation). His practice is operated from Auckland.

He is a chair-endorsed, certified Independent Commissioner and has practiced in that capacity full time since 2012 – primarily across the North Island as well as on national panels – including Boards of Inquiry under the RMA and decision-making committees under the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012. He also sits regularly on matters under the Reserves Act, Local Government Act and the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Act.

In terms of the Drury East Stage 1 Precinct application, he is regularly engaged as a commissioner and an expert facilitator by Auckland Council on plan changes, notices of requirement and resource consents, and is therefore very familiar with the strategic, planning and development issues of the region and across the “golden triangle” of Auckland-Hamilton-Tauranga.

Sheena Tepania (Member) 

Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa, Ngāti Kuri, Te Rarawa, Te Aupouri

Sheena is of Ngāpuhi and Muriwhenua descent and has more than 20 years’ experience in resource management, te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori land law. She has practised as a lawyer and consultant and brings a te ao Māori (Māori worldview) perspective to her work with a high level of expertise in kaupapa Māori and environmental management.

For the past 10 years Sheena has specialised in decision-making on cases involving complex kaupapa Māori issues, and competing views and interests between whānau, hapū and iwi. 

Sheena is a trusted decision-maker, holding Ministerial appointments for matters of national importance. She is certified in the Ministry for the Environment’s "Making Good Decisions Programme" with a chairing endorsement and has had extensive experience in her role as an Independent Hearings Commissioner since 2011.

She is frequently appointed to hear and decide applications for resource consent, notices of requirement and plan changes, by multiple Councils across the country. She highlights her role as commissioner on the Waikato Healthy Rivers - Wai Ora: Proposed Plan Change 1 Panel and has since been appointed a Freshwater Commissioner.

Register of interests

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

View the register of interests updated on 15 February 2022 (PDF, 81KB)