Office of the Chief Freshwater Commissioner
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The Office of the Chief Freshwater Commissioner is a New Zealand government commission established by the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020, as part of a new Freshwater Planning Process (FPP). The Resource Management Amendment Act 2020 required regional councils and unitary authorities to have freshwater plans in place by 2024. These plans were to give effect to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management.{{Cite web |date=1 June 2020 |title=Essential Freshwater: A new Freshwater Planning Process factsheet |url=https://environment.govt.nz/publications/essential-freshwater-a-new-freshwater-planning-process-factsheet/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=Ministry for the Environment |language=en-NZ |format=pdf}} The Chief Freshwater Commissioner must be a current or retired Environment Court judge, and is appointed by the Minister for the Environment. The Office operates independently and does not provide policy advice.{{Cite web |title=Office of the Chief Freshwater Commissioner |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
Chief Freshwater Commissioner
Professor Peter Skelton CNZM was appointed as the first Chief Commissioner. Skelton retired in 2022 and was replaced by environment court judge Laurie Newhook.{{Cite web |last=Parker |first=David |date=7 July 2020 |title=Freshwater commissioners and fast-track consenting convenor appointed |url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/freshwater-commissioners-and-fast-track-consenting-convenor-appointed |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=The Beehive |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Parker |first=David |date=17 February 2022 |title=Chief Freshwater Commissioner and Commissioners in place |url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/chief-freshwater-commissioner-and-commissioners-place |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=The Beehive |language=en}}
The role of the Chief Freshwater Commissioner includes:
- determining the appropriate size and composition of freshwater hearings panels
- considering regional council and tangata whenua nominations to a freshwater hearings panel
- convening a freshwater hearings panel and appointing its members, including the chair
- considering any requests to extend freshwater planning timeframes from a regional council or chair of the freshwater hearings panel
- considering any variations to freshwater plans proposed by a regional council (after documentation provided to the Chief).
Freshwater Commissioners
The Minister for the Environment also appoints Freshwater Commissioners, to participate in panels. Such commissioners must be accredited under section 39A of the Resource Management Act 1991 and collectively they must have knowledge of and expertise in:
- judicial processes and cross-examination
- freshwater quality, quantity and ecology
- the Resource Management Act 1991
- tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori.
As of September 2023, the commissioners are:
- Judge Craig Thompson, previously Deputy Solicitor-General for New Zealand{{Cite web |title=Judge Craig Thompson |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/judge-craig-thompson/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Andrew Fenemor, integrated catchment management expert and former president of the NZ Hydrological Society{{Cite web |title=Andrew Fenemor |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/andrew-fenemor/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Antoine Coffin, Māori resource management specialist{{Cite web |title=Antoine Coffin |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/antoine-coffin/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Alec Neill, Environment Canterbury councillor and previous chair of the Environment Select Committee{{Cite web |title=Alec Neill |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/alec-neill/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Basil Morrison, director and Waitangi Tribunal member{{Cite web |title=Basil Morrison |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/basil-morrison/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Gina Sweetman, Resource Management Act hearings commissioner{{Cite web |title=Gina Sweetman |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/gina-sweetman/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Greg Ryder, ecological consultant{{Cite web |title=Greg Ryder |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/dr-greg-ryder/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Ian Boothroyd, freshwater biologist{{Cite web |title=Ian Boothroyd |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/dr-ian-boothroyd/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Kate McArthur, freshwater scientist and consultant, president of the New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Society{{Cite web |title=Kate McArthur |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/kate-mcarthur/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Ron Crosby, Waitangi Tribunal member{{Cite web |title=Ron Crosby |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/ron-crosby/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Mark St.Clair, environmental planning and policy consultant{{Cite web |title=Mark St.Clair |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/mark-st-clair/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Ngaire Phillips, aquatic ecologist and toxicologist{{Cite web |title=Ngaire Phillips |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/dr-ngaire-phillips/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Rob van Voorthysen, hearings commissioner{{Cite web |title=Rob van Voorthysen |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/rob-van-voorthysen/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Liz Burge, Resource Management commissioner{{Cite web |title=Liz Burge |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/liz-burge/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Sarah Ongley, barrister working in environmental and local government law{{Cite web |title=Sarah Ongley |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/sarah-ongley/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Sheena Tepania, barrister and consultant on environmental planning and kaupapa Māori{{Cite web |title=Sheena Tepania |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/sheena-tepania/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- David Hill, independent hearings commissioner{{Cite web |title=David Hill |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/david-hill/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Gillian Wratt, scientist, previous chief executive of Cawthron Institute and Antarctica New Zealand{{Cite web |title=Gillian Wratt |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/gillian-wratt/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Matt Heale, planner and resource management hearings commissioner{{Cite web |title=Matt Heale |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/matt-heale/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Gillian Crowcroft, environmental scientist and hearings commissioner{{Cite web |title=Gillian Crowcroft |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/gillian-crowcroft/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Nigel Mark-Brown, chartered professional civil and environmental engineer{{Cite web |title=Nigel Mark-Brown |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/nigel-mark-brown/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}
- Peter Weir, geoscientist and engineer{{Cite web |title=Peter Weir |url=https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/our-people/peter-weir/ |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz |language=en-nz}}