On 23 June 2026, the panel convener appointed the panel. The panel consists of:
Cindy Robinson (Chair)
Cindy Robinson is a Christchurch based Barrister, and accredited Independent Hearings Commissioner with more than 30 years of experience in planning, resource management, and local government law.
Cindy has held accreditation as an Independent Hearing Commissioner (Chair endorsed) for 20 years and has chaired panels hearing plan reviews, private plan changes and resource consent applications involving housing intensification and growth, Christchurch earthquake recovery planning, infrastructure projects, commercial and residential developments, water and discharge to consents, and Sites and Areas of Significance to Māori.
Cindy has undertaken postgraduate studies in freshwater management policy, and Māori resource management. She has also studied Te Reo Māori through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Steve Abley
Steve Abley is a civil engineer and infrastructure adviser with experience in transport planning, traffic engineering, consenting, design and project delivery in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. He is currently Chief Executive of Abley, a consultancy working internationally with various governments to solve transport, infrastructure, and spatial intelligence challenges.
He holds an Honours Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Canterbury. He is a Fellow of Engineering New Zealand and a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK). He is one of only a few people who have received the MacLean Citation for distinguished service to the profession.
Steve combines construction and consulting experience with senior leadership, governance and statutory decision-making. Steve has worked across research, policy, planning, consenting, design, and delivery, bringing a systems view to infrastructure decisions and an appreciation of long-term community, environmental and economic outcomes. He brings a disciplined, evidence-based approach, integrity, and a practical understanding of how technical advice supports transparent, fair, and durable decisions.
Ray O'Callaghan
Ray O'Callaghan is a Chartered Professional Engineer with over thirty years’ experience as a consultant engineer and has been involved with a broad range of projects including land development, three waters, earthworks, coastal engineering, irrigation, and landfills and has provided expertise for the RMA approval aspects of these projects. Ray is a certified independent RMA Commissioner, a Fellow of Engineering New Zealand and a Life Member of ACENZ.
Ray has led several large projects through their RMA approvals process for both private and Local Authority clients, including Plan Changes and has been an expert witness for numerous planning Hearings and several Environment Court Hearings. Ray has also been an expert witness for several legal cases before the District and High Court, many of which have been settled at mediation. As a certified Independent RMA Commissioner, Ray has sat on a number of panels involving a range of proposed activities, usually where engineering technical matters have been complex. These have included NOR applications, large scale irrigation, discharge and/or coastal activities and complex land development proposals.
Register of interests
The register records all relevant panel members' interests. It is updated when necessary, throughout the consenting process.