On 16 March 2022, the panel convener appointed the panel to decide the Otawere water storage reservoir application. The panel consists of:

Vicki Morrison-Shaw (chair)

Vicki has broad experience in the environmental, Māori and local government sectors having worked in private practice, in-house and policy/iwi consultation roles. Vicki has led project teams for new developments. She has advised and represented regulatory authorities, applicants and interested parties in relation to designations, heritage authorities, resource consents, marine consents, plan and policy changes.

She has appeared as counsel at all levels of the courts - from first instance council and Environmental Protection Authority hearings, through to Supreme Court.

Vicki has advised on a wide range of strategic issues and participated in due diligence, public works, leasing and a range of Māori law processes including marine and coastal area applications, cultural management plans, Treaty settlement processes, and representation process issues in the Māori Land Court.

Vicki is a certified "Making Good Decisions" commissioner and co-author of the original "Māori Values Supplement for Making Good Decisions" commissioner's training programme. Vicki has affiliations to Ngāpuhi iwi and is currently studying te reo Māori at AUT. 

David Clendon (member)

David was an MP for eight years, including roles as senior party whip and sat on numerous select committees covering matters of commerce, law enforcement, Māori and the Auckland "Supercity".

He has extensive experience as a regional and national manager for the Sustainable Business Network, advising businesses on embedding sustainability as a core business value. He is a lecturer and programme director in resource management at Unitec Institute of Technology.

David's primary affiliations are Ngāpuhi me Te Roroa. He is a strong advocate for developing organisations and relationships in ways that seek to model and realise the Treaty relationship. He is comfortable and competent in bi-cultural and multi-cultural environments and relationships. 

Russell Howie (member)

Russell was appointed an Environment Commissioner in July 2001 and was re-appointed in June 2013 for a further 5-year term. He holds the degree of Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Canterbury University, and is a Fellow of the Institution of Professional Engineers.

He has been an independent commissioner under the RMA on many occasions for the Wellington Regional Council and for the Wellington, Porirua, Hutt and Upper Hutt city councils. He was the environmental manager for the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand and before that he was the deputy director of Water and Soil Conservation for the National Water and Soil Conservation Authority.

He has been involved in the design and construction of highways, dams, irrigation schemes, flood control schemes and drainage schemes and in the allocation of water resources. He is a past president of the New Zealand Society of Large Dams and was recently the project manager for the strengthening of the Matahina dam.

In 2019, Russell was appointed an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to environmental resource management. Russell has completed the LEADR mediation workshop.

Steven Sanson (member)

Ngati Rangi, Ngati Moerewa, Te Popoto

Steven has been a council planner in the Far North District since 2011. His experience includes both resource consent and policy planning roles, as well as attending hearings and presenting applications to commissioners and councils. He is familiar with both the Far North District and Northland Regional Council’s suite of plans. 

Steven is also a consultant planner, and has provided advice on a range of projects, including the fast-track consenting application in Kaitaia for the He Korowai Trust.  

Register of interest

View the register of interest for the Otawere water storage reservoir panel (PDF, 140KB)