05 May 2017




This year's planning conference saw over 600 delegates join together in Wellington to hear inspiring keynotes, share experiences, knowledge and recognise the achievements of colleagues which culminated in the spectacular gala awards dinner on Friday night. The conference theme was Changing Places, drawing on the location of central government and the emerging regulatory reforms shaping our urban and natural environments.


The local organising committee invested significant time and energy to curate a program and event that challenged delegates with fresh ideas and highlighted best practice. The keynotes tackled the impact of technology on shaping our future urban spaces, the politics of planning and housing, participatory budgeting and the emerging significance of our next generation planners. The afternoon topic streams addressed climate change tools, natural hazards, geospatial transport tools, living roof urbanism and Maori participation. All these keynotes and workshop presentations are available now on the NZPI website.

Conference is also about catching up with colleagues and making new connections, so the local organising committee made sure the program was balanced with numerous social event options, fueled with great Wellington food and drink. The field trips also provided opportunity to see local planning initiatives on the ground.

This year's conference also included a number of green initiatives to reduce waste and offset carbon, resulting in 89% waste diversion from landfill .

It's important to acknowledge the significance of the conference sponsors who help ensure the conference continues to be a successful event.

The local organising committee were proud to be a part of this year's conference and hope everyone enjoyed the program and gala dinner. Photos will be up shortly on the NZPI Conference website.







We look forward to seeing you in 2018!




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