Nine NZPI members recently appointed to the Register of Development Contributions Commissioners will play an important role in addressing the country's much debated housing affordability issue.

The nine members are among the 26 appointments to the register announced by Associate Local Government Minister Paseta Sam Lotu-liga last week, as part of the Government's drive to reduce the cost of building new homes.

"On behalf of the NZPI I want to congratulate our members on their appointments," NZPI CEO Susan Houston says.

"I am delighted to see them representing the planning profession as part of the solution to the housing affordability problem and I am sure they will do an outstanding job."

The NZPI members appointed to the panel are associate members Mark Apeldoorn, Helen Atkins, Simon Berry, Andy Carr and Alan Dormer, along with full members Steven Kerr, Gary Rae, Mark St Clair and Gina Sweetman.

They have been appointed for a three year term to ensure transparency and accountability in the charging of development contributions and ensure development contributions do not unnecessarily impact on housing affordability.

The commissioners will also manage the new objections process through which developers can object to a development contribution charge imposed by a council.

NZPI Members appointed to the Register of Development Contributions Commissioners


Mark Apeldoorn (Assoc.NZPI) is currently a Director of the Traffic Design Group. Mark has extensive experience in civil engineering with particular expertise in traffic engineering design, urban design in the transport environment, city centre revitalisation and transport supply and demand management.

Helen Atkins (Assoc.NZPI) is currently an environmental and local government law specialist at the Atkins Holm Majurey law firm. Helen is a RMA commissioner, a current board member of the Environmental Risk Management Authority and has previously chaired the Wellington Branch of the New Zealand Planning Institute.

Simon Berry (Assoc.NZPI) is one of the founding partners of Berry Simons law firm and specialises in environmental law. He has been in practice as a specialist environmental law barrister and prior to that spent many years as a partner in two law firms.

Andy Carr(Assoc.NZPI) is currently the Director of Carriageway Consulting, a transport engineering consultancy, as well as a RMA commissioner. He is a member of the National Committee of the Resource Management Law Association and is the immediate past Chair of the Canterbury branch of the Association.

Alan Dormer(Assoc.NZPI) is lawyer at Shortland Chambers law firm and specialises in public, environmental and local government law. He also teaches the "Making Good Decisions" programme for RMA commissioners.

Steven Kerr (MNZPI) is currently a Principal Planner at Montgomery Watson Harza New Zealand. He also has planning experience from his time at CPG/Spiire, Telecom New Zealand Limited, BECA and at several New Zealand territorial authorities, including Upper Hutt City Council, Taupo District Council and Tauranga City Council. Steven is also a RMA commissioner.

Gary Rae (MNZPI) is currently a planning consultant based in Nelson and a RMA commissioner. Gary Rae was a regional planner for Transit New Zealand, Principal Planner at Works Consultancy Services, and prior to that an Area Planner at Christchurch City Council.

Mark St Clair (MNZPI) is a Principal and Co-Director of Hill Young Cooper Limited, a strategic resource management and environmental policy and planning consultancy. He is also a RMA commissioner, a member of the New Zealand Planning Institute and the Resource Management Law Association. Mark has worked previously as both a Senior Planning Consultant at GHD and has held policy and planning positions at Manukau City and Hutt City Councils.

Gina Sweetman (MNZPI) is a RMA commissioner. She is also an experienced planner, currently working at Sweetman Planning Services. She is familiar with local government and Maori issues through work as a RMA commissioner, and planning and policy advisor for both the public and private sector.