Regional News - February 2013
Auckland - Kitt Littlejohn
Happy New Year one and all. And what blistering start to it we are having in Auckland! With so much going on for the City of Sails this year we have decided to cancel our regular summer drinks to make way for a joint NZPI/RMLA seminar on 7 March at BECA on the Auckland City Rail Loop. A must see for all those with a keen eye on the progress of our future public transport system.
The Auckland Committee is also pleased to announce that the Hon Amy Adams, Minister for the Environment and recently appointed to Cabinet, has agreed to find time in her busy schedule to speak to our members in Auckland in early April 2013 on National Party initiatives for environmental legislation – make a note of this event now. Work is a pace amongst the Committee for a variety of other topical and engaging events for the year, all of which will involve an opportunity for a drink and some socialising (for those who gasped at the prospect of no summer drinks!).
Wellington - Jill Gregory / Stewart McKenzie
The Wellington Branch started the year with a summer drinks function on the waterfront, basking in the sun. The night was well attended and was an opportunity for new co-chairs Stewart McKenzie and Jill Gregory to introduce themselves and provide an overview of upcoming events and ideas. We look forward to a candid discussion of consenting pathways, and the potential impacts on Wellington resulting from lessons learnt in Christchurch. The Branch wishes to thank outgoing chair James Gardner-Hopkins for his work in 2012 and to committee members who have retired over the past year: Mark St Clair, Lindsay Daysh, Graham Miller and Louise Sinclair.
Canterbury - Andy Carr
Not even heavy rain and hail could stop the Canterbury RMLA members meeting up with their local NZPI counterparts to share a festive drink or two as last year drew to a close. Well over a hundred people attended, which was rather cosy for the size of the venue but nevertheless a thoroughly enjoyable time was had by all. The branch committee has already met to discuss potential events for 2013, the first of which will be the AGM with an accompanying opportunity for members to catch up over drinks and nibbles. We also resolved to look at attracting practitioners who are earlier in their career to the branch this year, and are presently investigating a ‘Young Canterbury RMLA’ group as a way of doing this. A ‘Meet the Environment Court’ has been pencilled in as a possible first event for this group. We encourage those members who are (ahem!) slightly more mature to promote and enthuse their less experienced colleagues in supporting this group.
Queenstown - Jan Caunter
The Branch held Xmas drinks in early December to celebrate the end of another busy year and to provide networking opportunities for Branch members. Planning for 2013 is underway, with a session on RMA amendments planned as the first seminar for the year.