As a Principal Planning and Policy Consultant at 4Sight, Melissa has significant experience, both in central and local government policy development and in the private sector. Over the last eight years at 4Sight, Melissa has specialised in policy development for local and central government, including central government’s national direction work programmes and plan development work for councils in the Waikato, Queenstown, Far North, Kaipara, Hamilton and Gisborne. 

She has successfully co-led several central government policy projects for the Ministry for the Environment, Ministry of Primary Industries and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. These projects have involved research and analysis of urban district planning and major infrastructure provisions across the country, section 32 analysis, interviews with local government staff and other stakeholders, submission analysis and reporting, and preparation of guidance material for national environmental standards. She has also been involved in the preparation of several national direction instruments, including the National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land and the National Environmental Standard for Telecommunications. 

Melissa has significant land development experience and has prepared combined land use, subdivision and regional consents for land development projects across Auckland. She also has extensive experience in the telecommunications industry working with both Vodafone and 2degrees.

She has been involved in several policy projects over the years in both the private and public sector and has provided policy advice and planning expertise for clients such as Auckland Airport, NZTA, Mighty River Power, the New Zealand Poultry Industry, the Department of Corrections and Soil and Health New Zealand. 

Melissa also has experience in both district and regional consenting and policy and has represented clients at Council hearings and Environment Court mediations. She also has significant project management experience including due diligence investigations, financial management and running large, multidisciplinary teams.