Programme

CPD Hours: Thursday 7 September 6 hours. Friday 8 September, morning only 3 hours, including fieldshop 7 hours.

3.00pm	Registration and information desk open
4.00 - 7.00pm	Welcome function Venue: Millennium Hotel Queenstown

8.30am	Mihi Whakatau Conference opening Miriama Kamo, Conference MC Kindly sponsored by Anderson Lloyd Mayor Glyn Lewers - Queenstown Lakes District Council Ben Farrell, RMLA President
9.00am	Opening address Hon David Parker - Minister for the Environment
9.20am	Keynote: Continuity in times of change Judge David Kirkpatrick - Chief Environment Court Judge
10.10am	Morning tea
10.45am	Keynote presentation Ross Copland - Chief Executive, Te Waihanga New Zealand Infrastructure Commission
11.30am	Panel: Growth management and infrastructure – who pays? Many areas in New Zealand are facing growing pains. There is a realisation that business as usual is not an option in the face of unaffordable infrastructure, growing congestion, unaffordable housing and a low carbon future. Exploring population growth and the infrastructure deficit Local Government at the pointy end of enabling for growth and paying for infrastructure Looking to the future – A partnership approach to growth and funding Panelists Bernard Hickey - Independent economic and political commentator Mike Theelen - Chief Executive, Queenstown Lakes District Council Patrick McVeigh - Lead - People & Places, MartinJenkins Chair: Ross Copland - Chief Executive, Te Waihanga New Zealand Infrastructure Commission
12.45pm	Lunch Kindly sponsored by Dentons Kensington Swan
2.00pm	Panel: Tourism We can't host a conference in Queenstown without looking at the challenges and success stories of how our tourism industry is facing into the future, and how the regulatory regime is helping, shaping or hindering the industry's ambitions. The Queenstown district is embarking on a keystone project to decarbonise the tourism system, 'Travel to a Thriving Future' as well as more broadly attracting visitors who will benefit from opportunities to better connect with the local community and be a part of enriching and restoring this beautiful place. Panelists Sara Irvine - GM Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Mat Wood - Chief Executive at Destination Queenstown Matt Wong - Owner Managing Director iFLY Queenstown Ewan Mackie - Realnz; Treble Cone Ski Area Manager and Conservation & Sustainability Lead Chair: Miriama Kamo, Conference MC - Kindly sponsored by Anderson Lloyd
3.15pm	Afternoon tea
3.45pm	Workshops: Case law update Lake Hayes Old problems – new solutions - technology and resource management Tikanga in Resource Management Law Q&A with Hon Rachel Brooking and Hon Eugenie Sage
5.15pm	Close of the day
6.00 - 10.00pm	Taste of Central Otago Venue: TSS Earnslaw and Walter Peak Homestead Kindly sponsored by Bell Gully

7:30am	Regional Chairs Breakfast By invitation
7.45am	Young RMLA Panel This is a short panel type event directed at practitioners in the early stages of their career . We have selected a small number of successful professionals from the private and public sector to provide insight into their careers to date, key learnings as emerging planners and lawyers, including tips and tricks for preparing and presenting evidence and legal submissions. The panel presentations will be followed by an informal and interactive Q&A session and the opportunity to meet and network with other Young RMLA practitioners. Panelists Daniel Hadfield – Policy Planner, Queenstown Lakes District Council Jake Robertson - Associate, Wynn Williams Rosie Hill – Senior Associate, Anderson Lloyd Katharine Hockly – Special Counsel, Lane Neave
8:45am	Welcome Miriama Kamo - Conference MC Kindly sponsored by Anderson Lloyd
9.00am	Keynote presentation Tui Shortland - Chair Northland Regional Council
9.45am	Morning tea RMLA Annual General Meeting
10.30am	Panel: Pivoting from farming to forestry – what can we expect from growth in carbon forestry and are we ready to manage its effects? With the ETS incentivising permanent cover forestry, the projections for afforestation now show strong growth over the long-term. A large volume of land can be expected to change to forestry use in the coming years. Carbon forestry provides offset opportunities for farmers, but it also changes the economics of rural land use decisions. The sale of whole farms for conversion to carbon forestry are becoming increasingly apparent. While a financial win for those farmers ready to retire the gumboots, what does this mean for rural communities and rural infrastructure? Increased forestry also brings with it increased environmental risks associated with wildfire, wilding conifer spread and harvest. So how ready are our local authorities to manage the environmental, economic, social and cultural effects of the burgeoning carbon forestry sector? How do council’s balance the issues at a local level against national climate change and forestry objectives? Presenters Grant Dodson - CEO, City Forests and President, New Zealand Forest Owners Association Nicol Horrell - Chairman, Environment Southland Shay Schlaepfer - COO, Environmental Defence Society Madeline Hall - Senior Environmental Policy Analyst, Beef and Lamb New Zealand Chair: Miriama Kamo, Conference MC - Kindly sponsored by Anderson Lloyd
11.45am	Keynote: Confronting the future: Where we're heading and how we can thrive Kaila Colbin - Founder and CEO of Boma Kindly sponsored by Boffa Miskell
12.30pm	Lunch
From 12:30pm and will return by 5.30pm at the latest	Fieldshops: Burn Cottage Cromwell – Wine tour Clyde Dam tour – The inside story Eighth wonder of the world Full steam ahead - Heritage transport restoration & opportunities, Kindly sponsored by Market Economics Managing natural hazard risk in central Queenstown Pedal power – The Lake Dunstan trail Reforesting the Whakatipu Shotover Jet – jetting forward
7:00pm - midnight	Conference and Annual RMLA Awards Dinner Venue: Lake June Marquee Kindly sponsored by Brown and Company Planning