The Council has appointed a Hearings Panel with six independent commissioners. Three are independent commissioners with legal and planning backgrounds, two are iwi commissioners, and one is a Timaru District Councillor:
- Cindy Robinson (chair of the panel), Ros Day, Megen McKay, Raewyn Solomon, Jane Whyte
- Councillor Stacey Scott
All panel members are accredited under s39B of the Resource Management Act 1991. For more information on the accreditation, please visit Making Good Decisions Programme from the Ministry for the Environment.
Between three and six of the commissioners will sit on each hearing.
Meet the Panel
Cindy Robinson - Chair
Cindy Robinson is a Christchurch based specialist resource management lawyer and an experienced Independent Hearings Commissioner with Chair endorsement. Cindy has worked in the resource management field for 30 years. Cindy was a partner in a Christchurch law firm from 2000-2009 and since that time has been a sole practitioner specialising in decision making functions and related advisory roles under the Resource Management, Local Government and Sale and Supply of Alcohol Acts and related legislation.
Ros Day-Cleavin
Ros Day-Cleavin is an experienced resource management planner with 25 years’ experience across the local government, central government, private practice, and tertiary education sectors. She is an accredited and experienced RMA Hearings Commissioner (chair endorsement) with recent commissioner experience on the district plan review panel in the MacKenzie District and on the panel for a private plan change in the Waimakariri District. Based in Dunedin, she undertakes commissioner roles throughout Otago and Canterbury regions.
Megen McKay
Megen McKay is an experienced Director and Independent Hearing Commissioner, and recent appointee onto Selwyn District Council to represent Taumutu Rūnanga. She has broad governance and management experience in commercial, not-for-profit, and public service sectors - as a board member, senior manager, private practice lawyer (Associate level), strategic advisor and political engagement consultant. As an accredited Commissioner, Megen provides specialist knowledge of legal matters, Māori communities and tikanga, to enable good public decision-making. Megen holds various leadership roles within her Ruahikihiki hapū community and has a reputation for enabling strategic partnering with mana whenua for enduring outcomes for hapū and wider communities.
Stacey Scott
Stacey Scott is a Timaru District Councillor and accredited RMA Hearings Commissioner. Born and raised in Timaru, Stacey is a proud and passionate member of the community. Stacey lives with her husband and children in Lyalldale, St Andrews on a 750ha mixed arable cropping farm. For the past 16 years Stacey has been running her own business, delivering project management and administration services in the region. Her business works across both private, public and the not-for-profit sectors.
Raewyn Solomon
Raewyn Solomon has experience and knowledge of Ngai Tahu iwi values and locality specific hapu values - Ngati Kuri and Ngai Te Ruahikihiki. Values and knowledge gained from her coastal, rural upbringing and from 18 years’ experience and employment with Te Runanga o Kaikoura. She is now employed by Te Taumutu Runanga as an environmental adviser and project manager for marae based environmental projects. Her experience includes engagement and advocacy in environmental processes, IMP development and implementation, project management marae based, funding and budgets, permitting, engaging service providers, archaeological and cultural monitoring processes, hapua, river and repo restoration.
In tandem to this , Raewyn has 23 years hearing experience including with: District councils - plan reviews (Kaikoura, Tasman, Selwyn and current McKenzie DP review), plan changes, variations, a reserve management plan and numerous resource consents
Canterbury Regional Council LWRP – including several plan changes as well as variation 1 and 2, an omnibus (PC7, PC2), (eg) river/flow allocation plans, a stormwater management plan as well as various resource consent hearings. Environmental Protection Authority - Board of Inquiry – Stage 2 Southern Motorway.
Jane Whyte
Jane Whyte is a Christchurch based planning consultant. She has a wide range of experience having worked in planning and resource management, within local and central government and in private practice for over 30 years. A key focus of Jane’s work has been on District and Regional Plan development and plan and policy implementation. She has undertaken this work from a range of perspectives, including as decision maker, advisor and expert witness. She is an accredited Hearing Commissioner (chair endorsement) and has been a Hearing Commissioner on a number of private plan changes and resource consents within Canterbury.
Last updated: 15 Feb 2024