PROGRAMME
WEDNESDAY 9 SEPTEMBER
3.00 - 7.00pm
Registration and information desk open
4.30pm - 7.00pm
Welcome reception
Enjoy some local hospitality ahead of the official conference opening.
Venue: Restaurant, Copthorne Hotel and Resort
THURSDAY 10 SEPTEMBER
7.30am - 8.30am
Arrival tea and coffee
8.30am - 8.45am
Mihi Whakatau
Ngati Kawa Taituha
8.45am - 9.15am
Conference opening
Julian Wilcox, MC
Moko Tepania, Mayor of the Far North
9.15am - 9.50am
Waitangi at place
Delving into the narratives of our nation's founding, and grounding us into the place we sit.
Ngati Kawa Taituha
10.00am - 10.20am
Minister's address
Hon Chris Bishop, Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, National Party
10.20am - 11.15am
Panel: Political
Hon Chris Bishop, Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, National Party
Hon Rachel Brooking, Spokesperson for Environment and RMA Reform, Labour Party
Simon Court, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for RMA Reform, ACT Party
Lan Pham, Spokesperson for the Environment, Green Party
Jamie Arbuckle, Spokesperson for RMA, New Zealand First
Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Te Tai Tokerau Party
Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, Environment and Conservation Spokesperson, Opportunity Party
11.15am - 12.15pm
Morning networking break
yRMLA Morning networking break
Kindly sponsored by Tonkin + Taylor
12.15pm - 1.15pm
Keynote: The future belongs to the curious
The people who navigate uncertainty best are not the ones with the best predictions. They are the ones who stay curious. Ben unpacks the neuroscience of negativity, why the future is better than we think, and how adaptive intelligence and curiosity become the difference in a world that keeps moving.
Dr Ben Hamer, Futurist
12.30pm - 2.15pm
yRMLA Moot Final
Northern Opponents & Friends in Landfill Litigation Inc v Atlas Waste Solution
Applicant: Jonathon Sylvester, Corcoran French and Emma Cornhill, Gascoigne Wicks
Respondent: Anna Coomber, Bell Gully and Andrew Franklet, Bell Gully
Kindly sponsored by Wynn William
1.15pm - 2.15pm
Panel: Practical issues with RMA conditions: Complexity, cost and better outcomes
Conditions are central to managing environmental effects, but they are also an increasingly significant practical issue for infrastructure and development projects. Conditions that are complex, numerous or poorly targeted can add considerable time, cost and uncertainty, sometimes without a clear corresponding improvement in environmental outcomes.
This panel will examine how RMA conditions are being used in practice and whether the current approach is delivering the right results. The discussion will explore concerns that conditions are sometimes used to appease submitters, rather than to manage effects in a clear, enforceable and proportionate way. It will also consider the growing reliance on management plans and monitoring, and whether these tools are always appropriate or effective. Panellists will reflect on the increase in the number and complexity of conditions over the past 20 years, the precedent effect of conditions developed for one context being carried into another, and the importance of transparent decision-making that identifies the implications of imposing specific conditions.
Importantly, the discussion will look beyond the problems. It will consider how environmental effects and consenting issues might be managed differently in future, including what a more targeted, transparent and outcomes-focused approach to conditions could look like.
Simon Dyne, Chief Operating Officer, Fulton Hogan
Matt Zame, Project Director, Fletcher Construction
Kylie Eltham, Director, Eltham Enviro
2.15pm - 3.00pm
Afternoon networking break
3.00pm - 3.50pm
Panel: Mapping the future: Spatial planning
What is spatial planning, how is it different from what we do now, what does it look like when done well, and why should we be optimistic about Regional Spatial Plans?
How does Te Ao Māori, and te wā (time and place), provide a perspective on spatial planning unique to Aotearoa?
What lessons come from place-based and district-wide spatial planning in Whangārei, including the Whangārei Future Development Strategy, and how have these experiences informed Northland’s collaborative efforts to preparation for the 30-year regional spatial planning framework proposed under the Planning Bill?
Robert Brodnax, Technical Fellow - Strategic Advisory, Beca
Antoine Coffin, Kaihautū, Waikato River Authority
Bernadette Aperahama, Whangarei District Council and Māori Resource Management Practitioner
Kindly sponsored by Beca
4.00pm - 5.30pm
WORKSHOPS
Case Law Update
A RMLA Conference staple: This workshop will provide attendees with an overview of and the opportunity to discuss recent and significant cases involving key environmental and resource management matters.
Mike Doesburg, Partner, Wynn Williams
Kate Woods, Special Counsel, Wynn Williams
Practical approaches to transitioning to the new planning system
The Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT) will provide an update on the new planning system, including the anticipated timing, staging and direction of implementation once the legislation is enacted. This practical session will outline what needs to happen as the new planning system is rolled out, with a particular focus on transitional consenting. It will unpack the first tranche of changes and explore what these may mean for professional practice, decision-making, and engagement with communities and applicants.
Donna Caddie, Manager, System Enablement, Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT)
Sara Clarke, General Manager, System Enablement and Oversight, Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT)
Ruth Fischer-Smith, Principal Advisor, System Oversight, Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT)
Kaitiakitanga, collaboration and innovation: Transforming marine biosecurity
Invasive exotic Caulerpa seaweed threatens marine ecosystems in Te Rāwhiti Inlet and Omakiwi Cove. A groundbreaking collaboration between kaitiaki, local and central government and technology pioneers combines rāhui and biosecurity controls with cutting-edge innovations. We will explore the deployment of AI-enabled detection rovers for real-time seafloor monitoring, and the evolution of a world-first submersible suction dredge. Learn how this collaboration has revolutionised marine pest management through innovation grounded in mātauranga Māori.
Kaeden Leonard, Marine Biosecurity Manager, Northland Regional Council
Stephen Te Tai, Managing Director, Northern Divers NZ Ltd
Michelle (Barb) Elboz, Conquer Caulerpa Charitable Trust
Academic session: Discussion of academic ideas and current projects
Solar farms: Risk, uncertainty and the FTAA
Prof Ceri Warnock, Auckland University of Technology
EDSRMA reforms: what environmental limit setting might look like in practice
Greg Severinsen, EDS
The Insect Crisis: Failure to Address Biodiversity Loss in Environmental Planning in the RMA
Jono Sylvester, Victoria University, Wellington
Breaching NZ BORA even while compliant with the RMA
Prof Catherine Iorns, Victoria University, Wellington
5.30pm
Close of day one
5.30 - 10.00pm
Taste of Te Pēwhairangi Bay of Islands
Join us for an unforgettable evening across the water in Russell at the iconic Duke of Marlborough Hotel, celebrating the extraordinary produce, people and places of Northland.
Enjoy a relaxed walk-and-fork menu showcasing some of the region’s finest ingredients, including locally sourced kingfish, Wagyu, snapper and oysters, alongside wines from five Northland vineyards. With live music from Ngati Soul and the Duke’s spectacular waterfront setting, it promises to be a wonderful evening of local flavour, hospitality and connection.
Venue: Duke of Marlborough Hotel, Russell
Kindly sponsored by Bell Gully
FRIDAY 11 SEPTEMBER
7.00am - 8.15am
Regional Chairs Breakfast (invitation only)
7.30am - 8.30am
Arrival tea and coffee
8.30am - 8.40am
8.40am - 9.15am
Environment Court: Observations from the bench
Judge Lauren J. Semple
9.15am - 10.00am
AI in the wild: Adaptive consenting and the permitted activity gateway
Far North District Council's pilot adaptive consenting model front-loads the human work — the face-to-face engagement, the situational judgment, the decisions made with communities and in light of the District's context - before AI enters the process at all. This session goes inside that sequence, with a focus on the gateway question of whether consent is required, where the Council's most intensive testing has been done. It covers where the judgment happens, where AI does the work that follows, where it is deliberately kept out, and what has gone wrong along the way. The question underneath is one the whole profession faces as reform accelerates: when a delegated decision-maker signs an AI-assisted determination, can they really say the judgment is their own? This session sets out the conditions under which the answer is yes and argues that holding the delegation to decide is a professional duty automation cannot absorb, however capable the tool.
Nick Williamson, Team Leader Resource Consents, Far North District Council
10.00am - 10.45am
Morning networking break
RMLA Annual General Meeting
10.45am - 11.30am
Panel: OG Practitioners: A similar transition 35 years ago
What does it take to navigate a once in a generation complete legislative overhaul? As we stand on the precipice of the new resource management era, our OG practitioners look back to the early 1990s and reflect on lessons from the transition to the RMA: what was challenging, what was exciting, the fate of established caselaw, and how you build a new system from the ground up.
Matt Casey KC, Barrister
Janine Bell, Planner/Partner, Boffa Miskell
Chris Day, Founding Partner, Marshall Day Acoustics
11.30am - 12.30pm
Panel: Fast track in focus
What have we learnt over the past 6 years that a fast-track regime has been in place? What has worked well? What hasn't? And is the fast track living up to its name? We cover all this and more in this panel-session featuring perspectives from an Expert Panel Chair, a Planner for the Applicant, and a Māori planning specialist. The session discusses what best practice could look like and how to navigate complex projects meaningfully under tight timeframes.
He ruru māu, he kawe māu kei raru koe e tata i runga, e roa i raro / Take provisions lest you be beaten by the length of your journey
Vicki Morrison-Shaw, Environmental Barrister and Accredited Hearings Commissioner
Rachel Morgan, Director, Barker & Associates
Keita Kohere, Technical Director and Principal Planner, Mahea
12.30pm
Afternoon networking break
From 12.30pm
All fieldshops will have you back at the Copthorne Hotel and Resort (conference venue) by 5.30pm.
FIELDSHOPS
Beyond the Treaty Grounds: An exclusive Estate experience
Experience the Waitangi National Trust Estate beyond what most visitors ever see. This exclusive fieldshop takes you on a guided journey through the wider estate with the Head Curator, exploring significant sites including Mount Bledisloe, Haruru Falls and the estate's unique landscapes, while gaining insight into its rich history, conservation, kaitiakitanga and future stewardship. The experience continues with a guided tour of the Treaty Grounds and a captivating cultural performance, before enjoying afternoon tea with time to explore the museums and heritage buildings at your own pace. A truly immersive experience at one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most significant places.
Explore the Kawiti Caves and Te Ruapekapeka Pā
Step into Northland’s natural beauty and powerful history on this unforgettable journey. Begin underground, wandering through stunning limestone caves alive with glowworms and dramatic formations shaped over thousands of years. Hear fascinating stories of the caves and their deep connections to local iwi. Then travel to Te Ruapekapeka Pā, a wahi tapu site of the final major battle of the Northern War in 1846. Walk the impressive trench systems designed by Te Ruki Kawiti of the Ngāti Hine hapu and uncover the history behind this nationally significant place.
Golf above the Bay
Tee off at one of New Zealand’s most scenic golf courses and enjoy an unforgettable afternoon at Waitangi Golf Club. Set high above the Bay of Islands, this spectacular 18-hole course (9 holes will be available to play in this option) offers panoramic views across the water to Russell and beyond. Suitable for golfers of all abilities, the course combines a rewarding challenge with stunning coastal scenery. Whether you’re a regular player or simply keen to experience a unique Northland setting, this is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon immersed in the natural beauty and history of Waitangi.
Ki uta ki tai - mountains to sea walk - Puketi Kauri Walk and Rainbow Falls
Experience the essence of ki uta ki tai - from mountains to sea - on this immersive fieldshop. Beginning in the remarkable Puketi Forest, participants will walk beneath towering kauri, some more than 1,000 years old, in one of Aotearoa’s most significant remaining tracts of native rainforest. The next stop is Rainbow Falls (Waianiwaniwa) in Kerikeri, where the Kerikeri River plunges 27 metres over ancient basalt rock, often revealing shimmering rainbows in the mist. Together, these locations showcase the ecological richness and cultural significance of the Far North. This fieldshop offers an opportunity to step out of the conference setting and into the natural environment, connecting land, water and landscape firsthand. The experience concludes at the Plough & Feather pub at Kerikeri Basin, with well-earned drinks and nibbles in a relaxed, historic setting overlooking the water.
Kerikeri Basin: Layered histories in the Cradle of the Nation
Discover one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most significant heritage landscapes on this immersive fieldshop to the Kerikeri Basin, a place recognised for its extraordinary Māori and early missionary contact history and proposed for UNESCO World Heritage listing. Explore the layered cultural landscape of Kororipo Pā and Te Ahurea, before visiting the nationally significant Kerikeri Mission Station, home to the historic Kemp House (currently under renovation) and Stone Store, among the country’s oldest surviving buildings. The fieldshop will also consider contemporary heritage management challenges, including flooding and climate resilience within this sensitive historic basin. The afternoon concludes with shared kai overlooking the heritage precinct at the historic Plough & Feather pub.
Kindly sponsored by Dentons
Kerikeri uncorked: Wine, heritage and hospitality
Step into the birthplace of New Zealand wine on this memorable Kerikeri winery field trip. Enjoy an afternoon among boutique vineyards, sampling local wines in the beautiful Bay of Islands while discovering the remarkable story of how winemaking began here more than 200 years ago. Hear from Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga bringing to life the early agricultural and viticultural practices of the region, where missionaries first planted grapevines and produced wine. Rich in flavour, history and Northland hospitality, this excursion offers a delightful blend of heritage, conversation and cellar-door experience.
Slow Track: Vintage Rail Revival
Join us on the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway: the oldest passenger railway line in the North Island (1867), and the only one that runs down the middle of a State Highway! Our two-hour return journey departs from historic Kawakawa (home of the world famous Hundertwasser toilets), travelling over the longest curved wooden viaduct in the southern hemisphere. Spot endangered birds and unique wetland landscapes alongside the Taumarere River. Hear about the history and challenges of this historic railway and the dream of restoring the line to Opua, with a glass of local wine and a cheese platter. Our journey breaks at the historic Whangae Tunnel platform before returning to Kawakawa.
Te Hā o Tangaroa
Spend a spectacular afternoon on the shimmering waters of Ipipiri / Bay of Islands, visiting some of the places that featured in the Environment Court’s 2022 decision upholding controls on fishing in the Northland Regional Plan. Hear from Ngāti Kuta kaitiaki and other key participants involved in the Northland fishing appeals as they share insights into the case, the kaupapa behind the protections, and the ongoing stewardship of these remarkable coastal environments. Subject to weather, the itinerary is likely to include visits to the stunning Motukōkako / Hole in the Rock, Maunganui Bay / Deep Water Cove and a stop at Motuarohia / Roberton Island.
Waitangi Mountain Bike Park experience
The Waitangi Mountain Bike Park is a stand-out example of community-driven recreation, built and maintained through the passionate and collaboration of local volunteers, organisations and supporters. The park is a place of deep cultural significance to tangata whenua. Its management works in partnership with local hapū to ensure that the park both honours and reflects the enduring importance of Waitangi. Opened in 2016, the park is one of Aotearoa’s top riding destinations, with over 50km of professionally built trails, ranging from scenic beginner loops to technical descents. Located just up the road from the conference location, you will hear about the creation of this valued community asset and then get the opportunity to ride in the park. Caters for both beginner and experienced riders, the guided trails are grade 2 easy trails. You have the option of a standard mountain bike or E-bike!
Come see the stunning views of Waitangi, whilst enjoying some time outside in the stunning landscape.
7.00pm - Midnight
Conference and Annual RMLA Awards dinner
Join us for the Conference and RMLA Annual Awards Dinner – a night to celebrate the people and achievements of our RMLA community and a fantastic way to bring the conference to a close.
Settle in for an evening of warm Northland hospitality as we recognise this year’s award winners, catch up with colleagues and friends, and enjoy one final night together in beautiful Te Pēwhairangi Bay of Islands.
Venue: Copthorne Hotel and Resort Bay of Islands
Kindly sponsored by SLR Consulting