Planning for me has always been centred around my passion and love for the ocean and the environment.
I’ve surfed and immersed myself in the sea since the late 1980s and have a deep respect and understanding for the sensitivities of these environments. Choosing a career in environmental planning was a logical career choice.
Over the past 20 years, this career has taken me all around New Zealand and the United Kingdom where I’ve worked to achieve positive environmental outcomes while striving to uphold a high level of professional integrity with the projects I have been involved with.
It’s this same passion for our environment and desire to achieve balanced results that underpins how 4Sight works and their principles of trust, integrity and respect are key to what attracted me to the company.
The planning profession is in a state of change and recent changes to the Resource Management Act are only just the start of what will be constant shifts in how we work, as central government issues more direction around development outcomes in urban environments and further changes in the freshwater management space.
This is the first time that 4Sight has established a South Island presence and I’m very proud to be charged with taking a lead role in expanding the brand and the high-quality services to our existing clients, as well as exploring opportunities to introduce our services to new clients.
The national economy is still showing positive signs of growth, with new development being advanced across the South Island’s key regions such as Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago and Southland. Otago, in particular, has shown very positive tourism growth, with Queenstown reflecting high levels of construction and development activity. The local Dunedin economy is buzzing with a number of heritage renewal/earthquake strengthening projects currently underway in the city and with a number of new projects proposed, which is all very positive.
In the regional space, freshwater (both quality and quantity) and nutrient management will continue to be a central focus across the South Island for irrigation and farming interests as new planning regulations start to take effect. This will undoubtedly keep us busy.
So here’s to the next chapter in the 4Sight story, which I’m glad to be a part of.
To find about more on my expertise or to get in touch, check out my profile here.