On 25 May 2022, the panel convener appointed the panel to decide the Rotokauri North Stage 1 application.

Francelle Lupis (Chair)

Francelle is a partner at Greenwood Roche, a national project law firm, and leads its Auckland resource management team. She has more than 18 years’ experience practising in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Francelle’s experience includes major urban development and infrastructure projects, in particular residential (including retirement villages), water and wastewater, tertiary and secondary education, town centre and large master-planned retail and commercial developments, quarrying and clean-fills. 

Francelle provides specialist advice on law reform and district and regional plan formulation, and was closely involved in the Auckland Unitary Plan promulgation process. She has also been involved in several projects utilising the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-Track Consenting) Act 2020. Francelle is a past chair of the Auckland branch of the Resource Management Lawyers Association.

Alan Watson (member)

Alan is a highly experienced independent hearing commissioner, providing advice to over 30 local authorities (district, regional and unitary authorities) throughout New Zealand. He works as a sole commissioner, with other independent commissioners and with councillors, often as the chair of hearing panels.

He has engaged on a range of resource management-related applications, including the City Rail Link project in Auckland, the Waihi gold mine, and the proposed Waikato regional policy statement. Alan was earlier appointed to the Auckland Unitary Plan Independent Hearings Panel to assist with completing that planning exercise following a period of engagement as a mediator. 

Shane Solomon (member)

Shane has been an iwi RMA practitioner since 1991 and an accredited independent commissioner since 2013. Shane has a background in law, graduating from Auckland Law School, University of Auckland in 1988. He has held various positions in the Iwi Authority for Waikato-Tainui since 1991, and advised on the 1995 Treaty of Waitangi Land Settlement and the 2008 Waikato River Settlement for Waikato iwi.

Register of interests

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

View the register of interest updated on 31 May 2020 (PDF, 135KB)