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On 23 September 2025, the panel convener appointed the expert panel. The panel consists of:
Jennifer Caldwell (Chair)
Jennifer is a senior partner and Auckland practice leader of Buddle Findlay's dedicated environment and resource management team. Jennifer has over 30 years' experience in environmental law and litigation, including strategic management, oversight and leadership of complex consenting projects.
Jennifer has led the consenting phase of many infrastructure projects over the course of her career. Since returning from overseas in 2012, Jennifer's work has focused particularly on designation for transport corridors (all modes, including rapid transit), electricity transmission consenting, and statutory planning processes to support infrastructure and housing development. She played a key role in advising Auckland Council on the promulgation of and hearing process for the Auckland Unitary Plan, and more recently provided detailed advice on the preparation of Specified Development Projects under the Urban Development Act 2020. Jennifer has held leadership positions on two professional services alliances (East West Link and Te Tupu Ngātahi | Supporting Growth).
Under the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020, Jennifer successfully supported applicants to obtain approvals for a wastewater network capacity expansion, a shared-use path project and several State Highway upgrades. She was also appointed by the EPA to chair an expert panel on a residential subdivision application.
As well as her advisory and advocacy work, Jennifer is a member of the Property Council New Zealand Advisory Group, an associate member of the New Zealand Planning Institute, and served on the National Executive of the Resource Management Law Association for a number of years. Jennifer was a member of the Infrastructure New Zealand delegation to Ireland, Northern Ireland and Denmark in 2024, and is in high demand as a speaker at conferences in relation to infrastructure consenting and delivery and resource management law reform.
Matt Lindenberg (member)
Matt is a planner with over nineteen years' experience in both the private sector and local authority environments. During that time Matt's mahi has focused primarily on strategic and policy planning processes across New Zealand's urban environments. This includes the provision of planning support to Housing New Zealand Corporation and HLC (now Kāinga Ora) along with a number of other clients through the Auckland Unitary Plan submissions, hearings and appeals process, as well as NPS-UD implementation processes through full District Plan Reviews and various Plan Changes in Northland, Waikato, the Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Marlborough and Canterbury.
Matt has recently been accredited as a commissioner for RMA hearing panels under the Ministry for the Environment's 'Making Good Decisions' programme.
Michael Parsonson (member)
Michael is an environmental and planning specialist with 25 years' experience in regional and district consenting, policy and project delivery through local government and the private sector. Michael is a full member of the New Zealand Planning Institute and a certified hearing commissioner with chair's endorsement. Michael has been a panel member on a range of district and regional consent applications, notices of requirement and plan changes since 2010. He has been a member of two Boards of Inquiry and six applications considered under the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020. Michael is a member of the Resource Management Law Association and a former board member of the International Erosion Control Association Australasia. Michael also provides trainer re-certification services to the Ministry for the Environment.
While Michael has experience across a broad range of planning and environmental matters, he has a particular focus on resource use, infrastructure and construction, including residential, commercial and industrial development, roading, wind farms, wastewater, stormwater and other industrial discharges, quarries, airports, and rail.
Register of interests
The register records all relevant panel members' interests. It is updated when necessary, throughout the consenting process.