On 5 November 2025, the panel convener appointed the expert panel. The panel consists of:
Vicki Morrison-Shaw (chair)
Vicki Morrison-Shaw is an experienced Resource Management Act commissioner and senior environmental barrister who specialises in resource management, environmental and Māori law issues.
She has broad experience across a range of different roles, including within law firms, a specialist iwi consultancy firm and for a local authority. Vicki is of Ngāpuhi descent and speaks Te Reo Māori.
She currently convenes the New Zealand Law Society Environmental Law Committee.
Dean Chrystal
Dean is a Planner and Managing Director of Planz Consultants Limited. He has over 35 years' planning experience and was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the New Zealand Planning Institute in 2013 and became a Fellow of the Institute in 2025.
Dean has been involved in a variety of strategic projects including the preparation of statutory plans and planning reports, policy documents, design reports, research studies, the presentation of evidence before Councils and the Environment Court.
Major projects Dean has been involved in include the Darfield Dairy Factory, Te Rere Hau Windfarm, Pahiatua Dairy Factory, the University of Canterbury Dovedale Campus Screen and Digital Arts School and the successful rezoning of Sticky Forest in Wanaka on behalf of SILNA descendants.
As an accredited RMA decision-maker, Dean has acted as an appointed Commissioner on numerous diverse proposals including energy projects. This has involved over 100 hearings over more than 20 years, often in the capacity of chair. Most recently this included chairing the hearings on the Te Tai o Poutini Plan – the combined West Coast District Plan.
Nick Eldred
Nick has worked both as a consultant and as a Project Development Manager in the energy sector.
As the Project Development Manager for Meridian Energy he led the development of all aspects of a range of new hydro schemes. Tasks included investigation, design, permitting, landowner negotiations, and commercial business case development.
As a consultant he has worked on a range of hydro developments in New Zealand from the investigation, design and construction of the Second Manapouri Tailrace Tunnel in the late 1990’s to the recent feasibility study for the Lake Onslow Pump Storage scheme near Roxburgh.
Nick’s role on hydro projects has developed over the years. His initial focus was his core technical skills of engineering geology and hydrogeology associated with the investigation and design of tunnels, canals, caverns and dam foundations.
Over his career his role has evolved to include project management, resource consent program coordination, and design management.
Tony Cussins
Tony Cussins is a Director and Principal Environmental Scientist at Cussins Environmental Consulting.
He has over 20 years' experience as an Accredited Independent Hearing Commissioner (with Chair Endorsement).
He has sat on a number of RMA, COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting), and Fast-track Approvals panels throughout New Zealand.
He has specialist expertise in water resources management, human health and environmental risk assessment, contaminant hydrogeology and contaminated land management.
Tony has provided expert evidence in resource consent hearings, the District Court, Environment Court, High Court and the Government Inquiry into Havelock North Drinking Water.
He has extensive experience in water resources development, land development and hazardous waste projects in New Zealand, Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.