Call-in Board of Inquiry members announced

Environment Minister Trevor Mallard today announced the members of the Board of Inquiry who will consider the proposed Contact Energy wind farm near Raglan.

The minister's intention to call-in the proposed180-turbine Hauauru ma Raki wind farm near Raglan was announced yesterday.

The Board will be chaired by Environment Court Judge Jeffrey Allan Smith, and the other members are Dr Diane Menzies, Ms Gina Rangi and Mr John Lumsden.

Judge Smith was appointed to the Environment Court in July 2000. Judge Smith has presided over a large number of cases including appeals relating to hydro and wind (Mahinerangi) power generation, coastal issues and sensitive landscapes including the Banks Peninsula landscape case.

Dr Menzies is a registered landscape architect, and has over 30 years experience with local and national government in landscape planning, design, environmental policy analysis and resource management. She was appointed to the Environment Court of New Zealand as a Commissioner in 2001.

John Lumsden is a principal consultant in a Christchurch-based consultancy and has over forty year's professional engineering experience, with specialist skills in coastal engineering and resource management. He also has twelve years experience working as a hearings commissioner on a variety of proposals including the Mahinerangi wind farm in Otago.

Gina Rangi has affiliations with Ngati Tuwharetoa and Ngati Raukawa. Gina Rangi is a development manager at Indigenous Corporate Solutions in Hamilton and has a background in environmental law and Maori governance. Gina Rangi has been a member of several boards, panels or taskforces including: the Tuaropaki Trust and Tuaropaki Power Company Ltd Board, the Kawerau Geothermal Peer Review Panel and the Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board – Mighty River Power Economic Development Group.

For further background on the call-in, please see the press statement released by the minister yesterday – at www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/trevor+mallard.