On 3 February 2022 the Panel was appointed. The Panel consists of: 

Lachlan Muldowney (Chair)

Lachlan is a barrister specialising in environmental and public law. Based in Hamilton, he advises on strategic growth and land-use projects, large scale public infrastructure projects, and all forms of urban development. He advises local authorities on all aspects of local government, with a particular focus on regulatory processes and council functions and powers under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA).

He also acts for developers, resource users, and affected parties engaged in RMA processes. He regularly appears as counsel in council-level hearings, Environment Court proceedings, boards of inquiry, and appeals to superior courts. He is a presenter for the Ministry for the Environment "Making Good Decisions" RMA commissioner course, is an accredited commissioner, and has more than 25 years’ experience as a lawyer.

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.

Dr Lee Beattie (member)

Dr Lee Beattie is a practicing urban designer and urban planner with over 27 years' experience. He has qualifications in urban planning, urban design, and environmental science. He specialises in urban design matters, urban planning and urban design policy development; implementation and evaluation; and providing professional urban planning and urban design evidence. Recently, with Dr Caroline Miller, he co-edited and contributed six chapters in New Zealand's first book about planning and urban design practice: Planning Practice in New Zealand, now it is second edition.

Lee is an Auckland Council, Queenstown Lakes and Kaipara District Council Independent Hearings Commissioner. He is also Head of the University of Auckland’s School of Architecture and Planning and Director of the University’s Urban Design programme.

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 23 February 2022 (PDF, 39KB)