On 25 August 2025, the panel convener appointed the expert panel. The panel consists of:
Hon Kit Toogood KC (chair)
Former High Court Judge, Kit has over 50 years of providing advocacy and advice over, and adjudicating on, a broad range of subject matters.
Since his statutory retirement from judicial office, Kit Toogood KC has returned to practice as a mediator, arbitrator, investigator and consultant/advisor on legal and governance issues.
Prior to his appointment as a judge, Kit Toogood KC conducted civil and commercial litigation in all New Zealand courts, appearing as senior counsel in major criminal trials for both the prosecution and defence. He also had substantial appellate experience in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court (in civil and criminal matters).
His litigation experience included frequent appearances in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, the Labour and Employment Courts and the Employment Tribunal and Employment Relations Authority. He provided strategic advice to major corporations and government departments on employment issues, including contract negotiation; restructuring; termination of employment; and legislative compliance, and advised commercial and not-for-profit organisations on governance and organisational issues.
Loretta Lovell (member)
Nau mai haere mai
Ko Takitimu te waka
Ko Mohaka te awa
Ko Taihoa te marae
He tamahine ahau o nga iwi o Rongomaiwahine, Ngati Pahauwera, Ngati Kahungunu me Whakatōhea
Ko Loretta Lovell toku ingoa
No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa
Loretta is a lawyer, independent environmental commissioner and professional director. For over 20 years she has specialised in commercial, energy and resource management law. As an environmental commissioner Loretta has been appointed to multiple decision-making panels across the country. She holds governance positions on Crown entities and is a member of a number of advisory panels to public sector agencies.
Dr Hilke Giles (member)
Dr. Hilke Giles is a coastal and systems scientist with over 15 years of experience spanning research and applied science. She holds a PhD and MSc in Marine Biology, a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies, a Diploma in Law, and an MSc-equivalent degree in Applied Systems Science from Germany. After working for the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and Waikato Regional Council, Hilke established her own environmental consultancy in 2018.
Hilke is a certified Resource Management Hearings Commissioner, first accredited in 2022, and currently serves on the Auckland Council Hearings Panel. She has served as President of the New Zealand Marine Sciences Society and is also a member of the New Zealand Coastal Society.
Hilke has considerable experience in coastal/marine, and systems science, with particular expertise in assessing, monitoring, and managing environmental effects of anthropogenic activities, including designing monitoring and compliance frameworks, adaptive management, and dealing with scientific uncertainty. She regularly provides expert advice to councils and consent applicants and holders on coastal science and environmental effects management across a diverse range of coastal activities, frequently presenting expert evidence at Council hearings.
Gavin Kemble (member)
Gavin is an experienced planner with over 35 years' experience, and a certified independent hearings commissioner (with chair endorsement). His experience includes close working relationship with Councils, Tangata Whenua agencies, and corporate entities.
He has worked on a number of large utility and infrastructure projects, across territorial and regional consent authorities. Most recently with complex and controversial water and discharge related applications, although he is now regularly being engaged to hear unban growth related applications. He regularly conducts hearings for consent authorities throughout New Zealand (all but two have been as a chairperson), with most of his recent decisions relating to activities in New Zealand’s coastal marine area.
Natalie Hampson (member)
Natalie is an economic consultant with 25 years’ experience in both the private and public sector. She has specialised in studies relating to land use analysis, urban economics and growth, policy analysis and evaluation of economic outcomes and effects including costs and benefits.
Natalie has applied these specialities throughout New Zealand in areas of new developments, local and regional plan and policy changes, urban and rural planning and studies on specific sectors including (but not limited to) manufacturing, infrastructure, forestry, major events, housing, retail, mining, tourism, recreational marine and aquaculture. She has provided economic assessment for a range of proposed national policy statements and environmental regulations and regularly provides expert witness services on economic matters under a range of legislative frameworks.