Programme
LDEG Forum & Field Trip
Still under development (subject to change without notification)
Day 1 - Thursday 26 November
Forum Programme
7:45am - 8:30am
Registration Open - tea and coffee
8:30am
Welcome and mihi
8:45am
Land Development Engineering Group (LDEG) Introduction
Kelly LaValley, LDEG Chair
Murray Pugh, Āpōpō CE
9:05am
9:40am
Changing Insurance Landscapes
James Baigent, Insurance Council NZ
Insurers are calling for urgent action to reduce natural hazard risk. New Zealand has high levels of insurance coverage that protects people and underpins the financial stability and prosperity of communities. New Zealand is also among the world’s most natural hazard exposed economies for the extent of our assets that are in harm’s way. This makes maintaining our high levels of insurance coverage critical. To do that we need to urgently reduce natural hazard risk. ICNZ advocates for stronger land-use planning and better rules and tools for Councils to channel development away from high risk places. We also advocate for central government leadership and support for local government in the critical work to reduce the risk faced by existing communities. Insurers are supporting the National Adaptation Framework and want to see action on the ground sooner, to reduce risk and prepare for rising climate hazards.
James is the Resilience Leader at the Insurance Council of New Zealand. ICNZ advocates for natural hazard risk reduction, adaptation and resilience investment so insurance availability and accessibility can be maintained. James previously worked at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, and as a Ministerial staffer covering both local government and emergency management during the 2023 North Island Weather Events. Before that he worked for local authorities in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
10:10am
Digital Badge LD 230 - Developing the Land
LD 230 is currently under development
Āpōpō Digital Badges are award winning bite-sized courses delivered online so you can learn, and earn credentials anytime, anywhere. Learn more here.
10:20am
Morning Tea
10:50am
Representing the team responsible for shaping the future growth of Hastings and Napier, Anna Wood and Craig Scott will discuss how the Future Development Strategy is responding to population growth, infrastructure demands, natural hazard risks and long-term community aspirations.
11:25am
Development Funding: From Contributions to Delivery
Cori Barkle, Director - Rice Speir
This session will take a practical look at how councils and developers can fund and deliver growth infrastructure in a landscape where risk, capacity and legislative change are all moving at once. It will start with the core distinction between funding and financing, then work through the tools councils currently use (development contributions, development agreements, Crown funding, and IFFA-style structures) and where those tools help or fall short. The focus will then shift to what is changing: development levies, water services reform, greater use of targeted rates, and the need for sharper agreements that allocate timing, delivery, cost escalation and network-capacity risk.
Holding LLB and LLM (1st class) degrees, Cori has led major urban regeneration programmes, and funding and restructuring projects, including developing and implementing various infrastructure models and third-party funding structures.
Outside of work, Cori enjoys American football, values family life, and serves on the board of Habitat for Humanity Northern Region.
NOTABLE PROJECTS
- Unlocking public land assets for commercial developments including, for town centres, housing, solar farms, and water infrastructure delivery.
- The establishment of the Milldale “encumbrance” funding model between Auckland Council group and CIP (now NIFF).
- The establishment of the Housing Acceleration Fund between Auckland Council group and Kāinga Ora.
- Advising councils on new water service delivery CCOs.
12:05pm
1:50pm
Dr Tom Logan is a leading voice in climate resilience, adaptation and risk communication. Through his work with local government, infrastructure providers and communities across New Zealand, Tom helps organisations understand future climate risks and make better decisions today. His practical and thought-provoking approach challenges us to rethink resilience in a rapidly changing world.
2:20pm
2:55pm
Afternoon tea
3:25pm
Cam Drury is a respected planner and strategist who has worked extensively on growth management, urban planning and development strategy across New Zealand. Known for challenging conventional thinking, Cam will explore whether planning alone can solve the growth, affordability and resilience challenges facing our communities.
Project Showcases: Hawke's Bay in Practice - Delivering Growth on the Ground
4:00pm
From Problem Industrial Catchment to Showcase Project: Transforming Lowes Reservoir Through Integrated Stormwater Management
Clint Cantrell, SCO Consulting
This presentation explores the development of Hastings District Council's award-worthy Lowes Reservoir and Omahu Road Industrial Corridor stormwater programme. Faced with a high-risk industrial catchment and limited treatment opportunities, the project team adopted a multi-barrier approach that integrated source control, first-flush diversion, stormwater pretreatment, and biofiltration technologies. The result has been a dramatic improvement in water quality and visual amenity, transforming Lowes Reservoir into a showcase example of what can be achieved in a challenging brownfield environment. The presentation will share key lessons, monitoring results, and opportunities for application elsewhere in New Zealand.
Clint Cantrell, P.E. is the Managing Director and founder of SCO Consulting, and an internationally recognised specialist in stormwater, wastewater, and integrated Three Waters infrastructure planning. With more than 30 years of experience across New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, Clint has led some of the world's largest and most complex water infrastructure programmes, including Watercare's Mangere Wastewater Treatment Plant Master Plan and Auckland's $1.2 billion Central Interceptor project.
Clint has worked extensively with councils throughout New Zealand on stormwater quality improvement, wastewater treatment planning, environmental compliance, and infrastructure investment strategies. His recent work includes Hastings District Council's Omahu Road Industrial Corridor and Lowes Pit stormwater management programme, which has become a leading example of integrated, multi-barrier stormwater treatment in a high-risk industrial catchment.
A registered Professional Engineer, Clint combines strategic planning expertise with hands-on operational experience, helping communities develop practical, affordable, and sustainable water infrastructure solutions. Beyond engineering, he is the owner of Sea Change Eco Retreat in the Ha'apai Islands of Tonga, where he hosts visitors from around the world to experience one of the South Pacific's premier humpback whale swimming destinations each year between July and October. He is also a qualified commercial boat skipper, certified whale swim guide, and passionate advocate for marine conservation.
4:25pm
The Mission, Pressure Sewer
Neil Job - Ecoflow
With the growth of pressure sewer installations around New Zealand what can be learnt from the first two years of the Mission Hills Development.
Neil covers what was done to support councils, consulting engineers, developers, drainlayers & homeowners on implementing this new pressure sewer network.
From new council policy, layout design, operator training, system supply and even more training.
Neil Job is a Sales Manager at Ecoflow, Hawkes Bay born and raised and with 20+ years advising wastewater pumping solutions.
He is passionate about helping customers implement practical, cost-effective wastewater solutions that protect New Zealand's waterways while supporting resilient infrastructure.
4:32pm
It’s Flaxmere’s time
Shane Lambert & Raoul Oosterkamp, Hastings District Council
Flaxmere is one of Hastings’ fastest-growing suburbs and new housing is needed to accommodate the existing population and future growth.
Although planning has been underway for the revitalisation of the suburb for many years, since 2019 Flaxmere has been an integral part of the Hastings Place Based Housing Plan – a multi-agency and community collaboration to provide much-needed homes across Hastings.
Council has been a key instigator in this space, and in that time has prepared four lots of council-owned land for development in Flaxmere by a mix of non-government organisations and private developers.
As of early 2025, Council has completed the infrastructure works to support the housing including installing drinking, waste and stormwater, and roads, along with trees, indented parking and modern street lighting.
Learn more here.
Raoul Oosterkamp is Director of Policy Planning and Urban Development at Hastings District Council where he leads the teams responsible for shaping how Heretaunga Hastings grows and changes over the long term. His work spans spatial and policy planning, housing and development enablement, infrastructure sequencing, growth funding, and place-based regeneration. His team has led major initiatives including the Flaxmere housing and town-centre programmes, Future Development Strategy, residential and industrial growth area development, and local area planning, with a strong focus on partnership, delivery and strategic outcomes.
5:00pm
Wrap-up
Bus departs for Mission Estate from Scenic Te Pania Hotel at 6pm
6:00 - 10:30pm
Networking dinner
Join fellow delegates for an evening of connection, conversation and local hospitality at Mission Estate Winery, one of Napier’s most distinctive venues.
- Date: Thursday 26 November 2026
- Venue: Mission Estate Winery, 198 Church Road, Napier
- Transport: Coaches will depart from Scenic Te Pania Hotel at 6.00pm and return at approximately 10.30pm.
- Includes: Return coach transfers, tour, wine-tasting and dinner. Guests will receive a welcome drink on arrival, cash bar thereafter.
The dinner offers a relaxed opportunity to continue forum conversations in a memorable Hawke’s Bay setting, while giving delegates insight into the history and development of Mission Estate. The evening is expected to include a hosted heritage tour beginning at the Cellar Door, where photographic displays and wine exhibits will introduce the Estate’s story over time.
Delegates will then visit the underground cellar, hear more about the 1931 earthquake, the relocation and rebuilding of the Mission, and learn about the Estate’s ongoing sustainability focus.
Further details will be provided closer to the event.
Day 2 - Friday 27 November
Forum Field Trip
8:30am
Coach departs from outside Scenic Te Pania Hotel
Join us for a day in the field as we explore some of the region's key development and resilience projects.
While the final itinerary is still being confirmed, site visits will include Mission Hills Development, the Waiohiki Stopbank Project, Redclyffe Bridge, Brookfields Bridge, Lowes Lake, and the Flaxmere Development, including the Portsmouth Stormwater Basin.
Through site visits and conversations with project teams, you'll gain first-hand insight into project delivery, challenges, successes, and transferable learnings that can be applied within your own organisation and community.
Coach transport will be provided between sites, with expert local commentary along the way. Delegates will also receive a packed lunch, with scheduled stops for refreshments and comfort breaks throughout the day.
3:30pm
Day concludes
The coach will drop delegates off at Napier airport no later than 3:30pm before returning to Scenic Te Pania Hotel.