Nga huihuinga tohunga me te takawaenga Expert conferences and mediation

Pre-hearing conferences and mediation can help clarify information and resolve issues.

An expert conference is an opportunity for an independent expert witness to share:

• facts
• technical advice
• relevant expert opinion.

Registered experts, which could include people such as planners, architects, engineers, kaumātua or urban designers, are invited to attend a private conference run by a facilitator appointed by the panel. Panel members do not attend these conferences.

Experts present a summary of the evidence they will present at the hearing that briefly states their opinion on the matters for discussion, including key facts, methods and standards used.

A Joint Witness Statement (JWS) will be created at the end of the conference. The JWS helps the Independent Hearings Panel understand the issues at the hearing and the areas where experts agree and disagree.

The JWS and will be made available to all parties on the hearings page.

Mediation is a voluntary, informal and confidential process that brings people together to agree on a common approach.

The outcomes of mediation can help the Independent Hearings Panel understand and narrow the issues to be heard, reducing the hearing time required.

Mediation can:

• bring together people with similar views to see if a common agreement can be met and if a single representative can present these views
• bring together people with differing views to reduce the points they disagree on, so less time is needed at the hearing
• confirm where people are in agreement on matters.

Submitters and their representatives (including council officers, experts and the mediator) are invited to attend.

This pre-hearing mediation is not open to the general public, media or the panel. This allows people to talk openly about matters and to share information in confidence.

At the end of the mediation, a joint statement is created and signed by all participants. This includes the names of everyone that attended, what they agreed on (and why) and the issues that are still outstanding.

It will not include confidential material without consent.

This statement will be made available to the public.