If you have lodged submissions or further submissions in regard to a proposed plan change 29, and have indicated that you would like to be heard, you will have the opportunity of presenting oral submissions and evidence to the Hearing Panel.
The Hearing Panel is made up of Councillors Trudie Brand and Rohan O’Neill-Stevens (sitting as Commissioners) and independent commissioners Greg Hill (Chairperson) and Michael Parsonson.
The hearing of submissions will take place over several weeks. You will be asked to estimate the time needed to make your presentation to enable the council to schedule the submitters. You may be asked to pre-circulate expert evidence.
Friend of the Submitter
Emily Bayliss Friend of Submitters is available free of charge to submitters to provide advice on preparing for the hearing and presenting to the panel including:
- Pre-hearing meetings (Preliminary meeting and expert conferencing)
- The Hearing process
- The submitter’s role in the hearing
- How best to present your submission at a hearing
- The role of the experts in the hearing
- Discuss (where appropriate) joining other submitters to collectively present submissions.
Please contact Emily by phone 021 0843 5559 or friendofsubmitters@baylissconsulting.co.nz
Presenting to the Hearing Panel
Council officers have prepared reports (S42a Reports) that includes a summary of submissions and further submissions, an analysis of all the submissions and further submissions, and recommendations about which parts of the plan change should be adopted, removed, or modified. You should refer to the Officer’s Report when preparing to present your submission.
Always make your submissions available in written form. This ensures that hearing panel members do not need to take extensive notes and can refer to your submissions later, if necessary. The purpose of your submission is to persuade the hearing panel to agree with your point of view. Avoid being argumentative or badgering.
Clearly state your concerns and provide information to back up your point of view. Be concise and to the point. Avoid being verbose. Do not get sidetracked with irrelevant matters, allegations, or conspiracy theories.
Make sure that all the material presented to support your submission is consistent.
Where possible illustrate your points with maps, photographs, and illustrations. Make sure that all members of the hearing panel have copies. It can be useful to take a large map or diagram, which can be placed on a display board, to illustrate points during your presentation.
Always use words that you understand and customarily use so that your presentation flows naturally.
Speak slowly and clearly and try to vary your tone to keep up interest.
Try to avoid repeating what others have already said. Even if you have included such material in the written version of the submissions, you can skip over these sections, and politely inform the hearing body that you are leaving out sections to avoid repetition. They will be relieved!
Supporting information for issues of concern can include:
- Drawing the hearing panel's attention to relevant sections of the Resource Management Act, New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement, national policy statements, national planning standards, regional policy statements and plans and district plans
- Identifying any relevant research and reports which support your concerns
- Describing local knowledge that you have about the environment and the impacts of the proposed provisions on it
- Describing practical cases or examples that illustrate your main points (such as previous zoning controls that had negative effects)
- You may wish to use a lawyer to support your case and call expert witnesses relevant to your specific matters of concern (e.g. a planner, ecologist, or noise specialist.
