Office of the Chief Freshwater Commissioner


The Office of the Chief Freshwater Commissioner is a New Zealand government commission established by the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020, as part of a new Freshwater Planning Process. The Resource Management Amendment Act 2020 required regional councils and unitary authorities to have freshwater plans in place by 2024. These plans were to give effect to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management. The Chief Freshwater Commissioner must be a current or retired Environment Court judge, and is appointed by the Minister for the Environment. The Office operates independently and does not provide policy advice.
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Chief Freshwater Commissioner

Professor Peter Skelton CNZM was appointed as the first Chief Commissioner. Skelton retired in 2022 and was replaced by environment court judge Laurie Newhook.
The role of the Chief Freshwater Commissioner includes:
  • determining the appropriate size and composition of freshwater hearings panels
  • considering regional council and tangata whenua nominations to a freshwater hearings panel
  • convening a freshwater hearings panel and appointing its members, including the chair
  • considering any requests to extend freshwater planning timeframes from a regional council or chair of the freshwater hearings panel
  • considering any variations to freshwater plans proposed by a regional council.

Freshwater Commissioners

The Minister for the Environment also appoints Freshwater Commissioners, to participate in panels. Such commissioners must be accredited under section 39A of the Resource Management Act 1991 and collectively they must have knowledge of and expertise in:
  • judicial processes and cross-examination
  • freshwater quality, quantity and ecology
  • the Resource Management Act 1991
  • tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori.
As of September 2023, the commissioners are: