• Live, Work, and Play in the stunning Canterbury Region
• Full time roles based in Christchurch
• Talk to us about flexible-working options

Kaunihera Taiao ki Waitaha │ About Environment Canterbury 

Waitaha - our Canterbury region - is like no other and we are proud to call it home. We have the privilege of working with Papatipu Rūnanga, stakeholders and our wider community to protect our environment, including water, land and air through regulation and planning. As a Regional Council we're responsible for flood protection, public transport, civil defence, and more.   

Together we're taking action to shape a thriving and resilient Canterbury, now and for future generations. Toitū te marae o Tāne, toitū te marae o Tangaroa, toitū te tangata | if the land is well and the sea is well, the people will thrive.  

Kōrero mō te Tūranga | About the Role

As a Consents Planner, you’ll have responsibility for the processing of resource consent applications. You’ll bring knowledge of relevant legislation and regional and local Council planning frameworks.

The benefit of office based, and some field-based work ensures you get the best of both worlds. We encourage our team to get out onsite to engage with applicants and this also enables staff to have a clear understanding of the site and any further information that may be required to assess the environmental effects of an application.

More about the role:

• Provide sound advice to community & stakeholders on the consenting process
• Interpret data and legislation to finalise consent recommendations
• Investigate, advise, and report on resource consents applications
• Respond to internal and external resource consent inquiries and issues

Mōu │ About You

Ideally, you’ll be tertiary qualified in Planning, Natural Resources, Environmental Management or other relevant discipline. You’ll be a strong communicator, someone that connects easily with the community, customers, members of your team, and key stakeholders.  You’ll be a natural collaborator drawing people together, listening to their issues, and building trust as you respond to consent inquiries and issues.

More about you:

• Experience in Planning and/or local government
• Excellent working knowledge of the national direction and an interest in the government’s review of the Resource Management Act 
• An interest in Māori Rights in the Resource Management Framework
• An understanding of Te Tiritī o Waitangi and the obligations and requirements of local government to Te Tiriti
• Manage expectations and build relationships with our Papatipu Rūnanga partners, territorial authorities, communities, and stakeholders
• Critical thinking, solutions focussed, and a love of resolving tricky resource management issues

Ngā hua o te Mahi i te Kaunihera Taiao ki Waitaha | Working at Environment Canterbury   

Our mahi is underpinned by our values:  

• Kaitiakitanga (stewardship) 

• Pononga (integrity)  

• Manaakitanga (people first)  

• Whanaungatanga (collaboration)  

• Māiatanga (can do) 

We understand and embrace a diverse workforce; this diversity will enable us to better serve our people, our community, and our greatest taonga, the environment. We value everyone’s contribution, diverse thinking, and skills.   

We're on a journey to become a treaty partner of excellence, including incorporating te ao Māori into our work. We offer supportive opportunities to develop capability in this area and encourage our people to use kaupapa Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te reo Māori in our daily work. We welcome you with an open heart & mind, wherever you are on your personal te ao Māori journey. 

Ko ētahi atu kōrero | Additional Information  

For a confidential chat about this role, please contact Tavisha Fernando on 027 252 9062.  

Applications close on Sunday, 19 October.  Applications will be reviewed as we receive them, and interviews may take place before the close date. We reserve the right to close advertising early.    

Short-listed candidates will be required to complete an interview process, reference checks, and a criminal check. Further background checking will be required when relevant to the role.   

We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. If you're excited about this role but don't meet every qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply. 

Me mahi tahi tātou - Together we can