Hearing Chair opportunity - Te Tai O Poutini Plan, West Coasts combined district plan is the first standardised combined plan to be heard. It's a great opportunity to be involved on the ground floor as combined plans are being mandated across New Zealand.

An Order in Council sets up a joint Te Tai o Poutini Plan (TTPP) Committee as the decision maker on the Plan. The TTPP Committee notified the proposed TTPP on 14 July 2022, and the submission period closed on the 11th of November 2022.

TTPP Committee anticipates that hearings for TTPP will begin in the middle of 2023. As this is a full re-write and combination of three current district plans (Buller, Grey and Westland) it is expected that hearings will be held over a number of weeks through to the end of the year.

TTPP Committee is seeking expressions of interest for the role of independent hearing panel Chair. The Chair would preside over a five-person panel comprised of one commissioner each nominated by the three district councils, a Poutini Ngāi Tahu nominee plus the independent Chair.

The independent Chair is expected to have knowledge and expertise in the following categories:
• District plans – content and processes
• Resource Management Act planning and/or resource management law
• Cultural, including Treaty of Waitangi and kaupapa Māori
• Familiarity or connection with the West Coast/Tai o Poutini

Te Tai o Poutini Plan is the fore runner to the Natural and Built Environments Act’s direction to combine all plans within a region. This hearing process provides an opportunity to be involved in groundbreaking decision-making.

Please send your expression of interest including relevant experience, fees information and your availability.