Register of Development Contribution Commissioners
Find the register of Development Contribution Commissioners, including who is appointed and their role in supporting fair decisions on development contributions
Development Contributions Commissioners are appointed by the Minister of Local Government under section 199F of the Local Government Act 2002.
If you would like to lodge an objection against your imposed development contributions, please see the development contributions policy of your relevant council.
See Development contributions (Department of Internal Affairs website)
|
Name |
Location |
Biography |
Current term of appointment |
|
Stephen Abley |
Christchurch |
Stephen Abley is the chief executive of Abley Consultants, a transport consultancy. He has extensive engineering, advisory and research experience. |
2 July 2023 – |
|
Helen Atkins |
Auckland |
Helen Atkins is an environmental and local government law specialist at Atkins Homs Majurey law firm. |
2 July 2023 – |
|
Richard Bax |
Hamilton |
Richard Bax is the director of Richard Bax Consulting, a civil engineering and management consultancy. He has managed various infrastructure projects for councils. |
2 July 2023 – |
|
David Caldwell |
Christchurch |
David Caldwell is a lawyer practicing in resource management, local government, employment law, and civil litigation. He has acted for and advised iwi and rūnanga, and understands tikanga Māori and te Ao Māori. |
2 July 2023 – |
|
Fraser Campbell |
Whangarei |
Fraser Campbell is the director of an engineering consultancy – Campbell Consulting Limited. He has previous experience a manager at Palmerston North District Council. |
2 July 2023 – |
|
Loretta Lovell |
Upper Hutt |
Loretta Lovell is the director of Lovell & Associates Limited law firm. She has experience in commercial, public and iwi settlement law. |
2 July 2023 – |
|
Phillip (Chris) Mitchell |
Waikanae |
Chris Mitchell is a lawyer, with a background in economics and resource management. He has specialised in local government matters, and has acted as an advisor to several councils, developers, and community groups. |
2 July 2023 – |
|
Gregory Shaw |
Auckland |
Gregory Shaw is the chief executive of The Consultancy Group (marine engineering) and Geotech Professionals (civil engineering). |
2 July 2023 – |
|
Mark St Clair |
Wellington |
Mark St Clair is the principal and co-director of Hill Young Cooper Limited, a strategic resource management, and environmental policy and planning consultancy. |
2 July 2023 – |
|
Gina Sweetman |
Wellington |
Gina Sweetman is a consultant of Sweetman Planning Services. She has experience with local government and Māori issues through her work as a planning and policy advisor in the public and private sector. |
2 July 2023 – |
|
Tania Te Whenua |
Rotorua |
Tania Te Whenua is the director and principal of Te Whenua Law and Consulting. She specialised in providing advice to Māori individuals and organisations for their own development. |
2 July 2023 – |
|
Charlie (Lou) Wickham |
Auckland |
Lou Wickham is a director of Emission Impossible Limited, a consultancy specialising in air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable transport management. |
2 July 2023 – |
A PDF and Word version of this register are available below (updated December 2025):
Register of Development Contributions Commissioners (DOC, 55KB
Register of Development Contributions Commissioners (PDF, 188KB)