Judge Laurie Newhook retired as Chief Environment Court Judge in July 2020, having headed the New Zealand Environment Court from August 2011 and been a Judge of the Court from 2001. Prior to that he was counsel and had over thirty years of advocacy experience to that point, with particular emphasis on environmental matters, land, property, and maritime laws. He graduated LIB (Hons) from Auckland University in 1972. Judge Newhook was appointed by the Minister for the Environment to be Convenor of Expert Panels under the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020, for the 3-year life of the Act. On 7 January 2022, he was appointed by the Minister for the Environment to be Chief Freshwater Commissioner for the freshwater planning processes under the Resource Management Act. Judge Newhook has presented at many national and international conferences on the themes of environmental adjudication and the use of technology in adjudicative settings and has written multiple papers on the subjects.

Born in Roxburgh in 1960, David grew up in Dunedin and has a BCom (Acctg) and LLB from the University of Otago. He was a litigation and managing partner in law firm Anderson Lloyd and was a co-founder of the Dunedin Community Law Centre. David is an experienced CEO and company director in a range of industries and has experienced both success and failure. He was involved in a number of start-up businesses in the agri-biotechnology field including A2 Milk, and BLIS Technologies which he managed from start-up to the main board of the NZX. He held various Ministerial portfolios in the last Labour-led Government including Attorney-General, Energy, Climate Change, Transport, Land Information and State Services. In 2008 he was named by the Listener magazine as Environmentalist of the Year for his work as Minister of Energy and Climate Change. He pioneered New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme, then described by many as the most significant environmental reform in NZ for decades. In opposition his roles included Deputy Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party and spokesperson on Finance, Trade and Export Growth. David was named a minister in the Jacinda Ardern-led government after the 2017 election. He was appointed Attorney-General, Minister for Economic Development, Environment, Trade and Export Growth, and Associate Minister of Finance but Minister Phil Twyford assumed the Economic Development role in a minor reshuffle in July. After the 2020 election, David was reappointed Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment and Associate Minister of Finance, as well as being appointed as Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, and Minister of Revenue. He maintains strong interests in the protection of civil liberties, as well as economic and environmental policy. David pursues policies which both enhance economic growth and address the growing extremes between rich and poor in New Zealand, while protecting the environment. David is a keen tramper and skier.

Simon Berry is a specialist Environmental lawyer with 40 years’ experience in the area. Simon a partner of the Environmental Law boutique firm, Berry Simons, which he founded with Sue Simons in April 2012. Prior to that, Simon spent 22 years in big firms and 8 years as a specialist barrister. Simon has a great deal of experience advising a wide range of public and private sector clients, including local authorities and major corporates, on RMA-related issues, especially in relation to land development, water and wastewater, energy, and infrastructure. He is also an independent hearing commissioner.

Vicki has broad experience in the environmental, Māori and local government sectors having worked in private practice, in-house and in policy/iwi consultation roles. Vicki has led project teams for new developments and advised and represented regulatory authorities, applicants and interested parties in relation to designations, heritage authorities, resource consents, marine consents, plan and policy changes. She has appeared as counsel at all levels of the courts. Vicki has advised on a wide range of strategic issues and participated in due diligence, public works, leasing and a range of Māori law processes including marine and coastal area applications, cultural management plans, Treaty settlement processes, and representation process issues in the Māori Land Court. Vicki is a certified "Making Good Decisions" commissioner and recently completed appointments for both fast track and district plan hearing panels. Vicki is the co-author of the original "Māori Values Supplement for Making Good Decisions" commissioner's training programme. Vicki has affiliations to Ngāpuhi iwi and is currently studying te reo Māori at AUT.

Mike is a Partner in Wynn Williams’ resource management and local government team, based in Auckland. He advises local authorities and private clients on all aspects of resource management law and appears regularly in the Environment Court and High Court. Mike has considerable experience advising on complex regional and district planning issues and has a particular interest in land development, freshwater planning and coastal issues. Mike serves as treasurer of the Auckland Branch Committee of the Resource Management Law Association.

Matt is a Partner in Simpson Grierson’s Local Government and Environment team, with 19 years’ experience advising on resource management issues. He is an updating author for the Brookers Resource Management commentary on the RMA. Matt has worked on district and regional plan reviews around New Zealand, as well as helping councils and other plan users with their interpretation and implementation through the consenting and designating of a range of projects large and small. He has advised councils on several iterations of RMA amendments, and has been taking a particular interest in the Enabling Housing Supply amendments to the RMA given its complexities and its implications for his clients and our neighbourhoods.

Stewart is a planner with 22-years’ experience across an extensive range of planning and related disciplines. He spent the first 7-years of his career with MWH in Wellington, before working in Edinburgh and London for 7-years. He worked for Scottish Water during this time, and as a contractor for various London Boroughs and the Mayor of London’s Office where he advised on transport and urban regeneration projects. More recently he has been a principal planner and project manager for Waka Kotahi in the Wellington Region, principal RMA advisor for Wellington Water, and since 2019 Manager of Environment and City Planning at Porirua City Council where he has overseen the development of the Proposed District Plan. Stewart and his team at Porirua are at the coal face of implementing a range of National and Regional Policy through their Proposed District Plan, and can provide unique context and insight around implementation of the RMA-EHS.

Stuart is a barrister with a practice in resource management and public law. Stuart was a partner at Cooney, Lees Morgan and later at Hesketh Henry in Auckland before commencing practice as barrister in 2009. Stuart is a contributing editor to Salmon Resource Management.

Stephanie is a Senior Associate in MinterEllisonRuddWatt’s environment team, specialising in all aspects of environmental and resource management law. She advises on a broad range of issues from consenting, planning and regulatory compliance through to due diligence for major acquisitions and divestments and environmental dispute resolution.  Her clients span both the private and public sector and include government ministries and organisations, private property owners, developers, asset managers and operators in the primary and energy sectors. Stephanie has particular expertise in climate change response and is sought after for her advice on climate change governance, policy development, regulation and compliance with the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme.

Mike is a partner in Simpson Grierson’s local government and environment group. He specialises in local government and environmental law, with a particular focus on the regulatory functions of local government (including under the RMA), and its decision-making obligations and governance requirements. He regularly represents clients in relation to RMA matters (including before the higher courts), and has appeared before a number of other specialist tribunals and Council hearings on specific strategic and regulatory matters.