Professor Claudia Scott , Professor of Public Policy, Victoria University of Wellington, Project Leader and Core Researcher

Claudia Scott is Professor of Public Policy in the School of Government at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) and at the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG). Prior to taking up university positions in New Zealand, she worked at Planning Research Corporation and the Urban Institute in Washington, D. C. She has been a visiting scholar at the Brookings Institution, Yale University and the International Tax Programme at Harvard University.

Professor Scott has research and teaching interests in local government policy and financing, strategic policy and management, and policy analysis. She teaches a course on Local Government with Mike Reid at Victoria University and designs and delivers executive development programmes for public sector analysts and managers in central and local government. Further information about Professor Claudia Scott …

Mike Reid, Strategy Leader, Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ); Core Researcher

Mike has worked in and with local government since 1985 and specialises in the area of governance. He is currently the Manager of Governance at Local Government New Zealand, the national body for all local authorities. His portfolio of issues includes providing advice and assistance to councils on the new Local Government Act, strengthening local democracy and a range of social, cultural and funding issues. He has published a number of papers on local government and contributes regularly to the Victoria University Master of Public Policy local government paper. Further information about Mike Reid…

Allan Johnston, Consultant; Project Manager; and Core Researcher

Allan has strategic planning experience in both central and local government and in the private sector. As a Senior Lecturer in Management at Victoria University's business school from 1996 to 2001 he had a strong focus on strategic and business planning.

As a Wellington City Councillor from 1995 to 2001, Allan developed a particular interest in local government strategic and policy planning and governance. He chaired many of that Council's senior committees including Annual Plan, Strategic Planning, and Finance and Corporate. Allan has also acted as a resource consent commissioner and as a director on a number of local government trading companies.

Jeff McNeill, Consultant; and Core Researcher

Jeff is a public policy analyst with a wide background and over 20 years experience in both central and local government.  He was the Environmental Policy and Science Manager for five years at the Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council.  Jeff has particular interests in New Zealand and European environmental policy and local government and is currently undertaking doctoral studies, researching environmental policy-making in a multi-level governance system.  As part of his studies he worked for three months in the European Parliament, Brussels in 2004 working both in an MEP's office and the Environment Secretariat.  He consults to local and central government as well as lecturing at Massey University.

Dr Lance Beath

Dr Lance Beath has worked in the New Zealand public sector for many years. He served in various posts at home and overseas in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and later moved to the Ministry of Defence where he managed Strategic and International Policy. Lance is now a consultant and lecturer, specializing in the fields of strategic studies and defence and security policy. In addition to developing the MSS, Lance is a Board Member of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific (CSCAP), a Senior Fellow at VUW’s Centre for Strategic Studies, and a Senior Visiting Fellow at the New Zealand Military Studies Institute.

Kate Delaney

 Kate Delaney is a strategist and futurist who has worked effectively with all levels of the public sector for many years.  She provides strategic advice, analysis and innovative thinking to decision-makers and planners facing difficult decisions.  Kate has worked with federal and state natural resource and environment, science and technology, and national security organisations in Australia and with overseas clients such as the UK's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.  In New Zealand, Kate has worked with the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Treasury, the State Services Commission, the Ministry of Research Science and Technology and Auckland City Council delivering strategic approaches, futures consultancies and strategy simulations.

Hamish Kynoch

(Central Hawkes Bay District Council, Carterton District Council, Porirua City Council)

Hamish was an elected councillor from 1989 to 1995, and a mayor from 1995 to 2001. He was a member of the LGNZ Steering Group for the Local Government Act Review in 2000 and worked on the joint DIA/LGNZ working groups. Hamish gained a Master of Public Policy degree from Victoria University of Wellington in 2003, and is currently chairman of a consumer's power trust, and chairman of a primary health organisation.

Chris Yandle

(Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Waipa District Council)

Chris Yandle is an economist who studied (and taught) at Lincoln College, Canterbury University in the 1960's. He went on to a 28 year career with the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C., of which over 12 years was in the Fiscal Affairs Department focused on Public Finance issues. Chris returned to New Zealand in 1997 and has since been actively involved in local community issues in the Bay of Plenty.

Catherine Syme

(Auckland Regional Council, Manakau City Council, Waitakere City Council)

Catherine Syme is a strategic planning consultant with extensive local government experience. Her areas of expertise include economic development, economic analysis, and strategic planning. She provides policy advice to local authorities and central government on a wide range of issues including housing, transport, funding, tourism, and consultation.

Ross Quayle

(Stratford District Council, New Plymouth City council, Ruapehu District Council)

Ross Quayle is a policy consultant from Palmerston North. His background includes policy and executive roles with central government in Wellington, and more recently eleven years with Horizons Regional Council responsible for resource management and environmental policy.

Karen Johnston

(Canterbury Regional Council, Christchurch City Council, Hurunui District Council)

Karen worked as the Policy Manager for the Palmerston North City Council for 13 years. While at the Council Karen was involved in submissions to the Local Government Commission prior to the 1989 local government reorganisations.

Since establishing her own business she has worked for various Councils assisting with a variety of research and policy area such as strategic planning, funding policy, reviewing electoral systems, demographic analysis and providing advice and appearing as an expert witness at the Environment Court on financial contributions.

Malcolm Douglass

(Dunedin City, Southland District)

Malcolm Douglass has had a long career in local government as a civil engineer, a town planner and a senior manager. He is currently a practicing consultant in strategic planning, transportation and local government. This includes research in the history and evolution of local government and in particular planning, transportation and local governance. He is a part time university lecturer and also acts as a planning hearings commissioner.

Simon Markham

(Grey District Council, Marlborough District Council)

Simon is based in Christchurch and currently managing a project for the Department of Internal Affairs developing for delivery via the Internet, an information resource about the local government sector in New Zealand. Among his experience prior to that are a variety of planning and management roles in local government over a period of 20 years.

Professor Claudia Scott , Professor of Public Policy, Victoria University of Wellington, Project Leader and Core Researcher

Claudia Scott is Professor of Public Policy in the School of Government at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) and at the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG). Prior to taking up university positions in New Zealand, she worked at Planning Research Corporation and the Urban Institute in Washington, D. C. She has been a visiting scholar at the Brookings Institution, Yale University and the International Tax Programme at Harvard University.

Professor Scott has research and teaching interests in local government policy and financing, strategic policy and management, and policy analysis. She teaches a course on Local Government with Mike Reid at Victoria University and designs and delivers executive development programmes for public sector analysts and managers in central and local government. Further information about Professor Claudia Scott …

Mike Reid, Strategy Leader, Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ); Core Researcher

Mike has worked in and with local government since 1985 and specialises in the area of governance. He is currently the Manager of Governance at Local Government New Zealand, the national body for all local authorities. His portfolio of issues includes providing advice and assistance to councils on the new Local Government Act, strengthening local democracy and a range of social, cultural and funding issues. He has published a number of papers on local government and contributes regularly to the Victoria University Master of Public Policy local government paper. Further information about Mike Reid…

Dr John Yeabsley, Senior Fellow, New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER); Core Researcher

John Yeabsley has been with the NZIER since 1994. Previously he was with a variety of central government agencies as an analyst or manager. For the last 10 years he has worked in a variety of areas, addressing and solving problems for clients, frequently as part of a team. He has an in-depth knowledge of many facets of the New Zealand economy and of the public policy scene.

He has had extensive experience with public policy and delivery performance and works with central and local government agencies to assess their strategic policy capability and to develop strategies for improving performance. His research encompasses aspects of public policy and management. Further information about Dr John Yeabsley…

Rob Laking, Senior Lecturer, School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington (VUW); Core Researcher

Rob Laking is a former senior New Zealand Public Servant and specialist in advice and capacity building in Governance, Public Management and Financial Management. Rob left the public service in 1995 after thirty-two years, the last four of which he served as Chief Executive of the Ministry of Housing.

Rob has combined his University teaching with consulting both here and overseas. He is currently teaching on the Master of Public Management Programme at Victoria University of Wellington, which started in the 1998 academic year. He was Director of the programme from 1997-2002. Further information about Rob Laking…

Ernst Zöllner, Chief Advisor, Strategic and Economic Development, Wellington City Council; Core Researcher

Ernst Zöllner is an urban planner and economist with urban design sensitivities.  Ernst is currently Director of Planning and Urban Design at Wellington City Council.  Before joining the Council Ernst lectured in public policy, infrastructure planning and urban economics at the University of Auckland. Ernst has also worked for 11 years as a consultant and adviser to local and central governments in New Zealand and South Africa, based in Wellington, Auckland, Cape Town and Johannesburg.  Ernst was a member of the Government’s Urban Design Protocol Advisory Group.

Allan Johnston, Consultant; Project Manager and Core Researcher

Allan has strategic planning experience in both central and local government and in the private sector. As a Senior Lecturer in Management at Victoria University's business school from 1996 to 2001 he had a strong focus on strategic and business planning.

As a Wellington City Councillor from 1995 to 2001, Allan developed a particular interest in local government strategic and policy planning and governance. He chaired many of that Council's senior committees including Annual Plan, Strategic Planning, and Finance and Corporate. Allan has also acted as a resource consent commissioner and as a director on a number of local government trading companies.

Marianne Henderson, Research Manager

Marianne has worked as a Project Officer in the public sector in New Zealand before leaving and working as a Researcher for public and private sectors in the UK. She joined the Local Futures team at the end of 2003 as Research Manager. Marianne completed her Master of Arts degree at Otago University in 2000, majoring in Social Sciences.

Jeff McNeill, Consultant; Senior Research Associate

Jeff is a public policy analyst with a wide background and over 20 years experience in both central and local government.  He was the Environmental Policy and Science Manager for five years at the Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council.  Jeff has particular interests in New Zealand and European environmental policy and local government and is currently undertaking doctoral studies, researching environmental policy-making in a multi-level governance system.  As part of his studies he worked for three months in the European Parliament, Brussels in 2004 working both in an MEP's office and the Environment Secretariat.  He consults to local and central government as well as lecturing at Massey University.

Hamish Kynoch

(Central Hawkes Bay District Council, Carterton District Council, Porirua City Council)

Hamish was an elected councillor from 1989 to 1995, and a mayor from 1995 to 2001. He was a member of the LGNZ Steering Group for the Local Government Act Review in 2000 and worked on the joint DIA/LGNZ working groups. Hamish gained a Master of Public Policy degree from Victoria University of Wellington in 2003, and is currently chairman of a consumer's power trust, and chairman of a primary health organisation.

Chris Yandle

(Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Waipa District Council)

Chris Yandle is an economist who studied (and taught) at Lincoln College, Canterbury University in the 1960's. He went on to a 28 year career with the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C., of which over 12 years was in the Fiscal Affairs Department focused on Public Finance issues. Chris returned to New Zealand in 1997 and has since been actively involved in local community issues in the Bay of Plenty.

Catherine Syme

(Auckland Regional Council, Manakau City Council, Waitakere City Council)

Catherine Syme is a strategic planning consultant with extensive local government experience. Her areas of expertise include economic development, economic analysis, and strategic planning. She provides policy advice to local authorities and central government on a wide range of issues including housing, transport, funding, tourism, and consultation.

Ross Quayle

(Stratford District Council, New Plymouth City council, Ruapehu District Council)

Ross Quayle is a policy consultant from Palmerston North. His background includes policy and executive roles with central government in Wellington, and more recently eleven years with Horizons Regional Council responsible for resource management and environmental policy.

Karen Johnston

(Canterbury Regional Council, Christchurch City Council, Hurunui District Council)

Karen worked as the Policy Manager for the Palmerston North City Council for 13 years. While at the Council Karen was involved in submissions to the Local Government Commission prior to the 1989 local government reorganisations.

Since establishing her own business she has worked for various Councils assisting with a variety of research and policy area such as strategic planning, funding policy, reviewing electoral systems, demographic analysis and providing advice and appearing as an expert witness at the Environment Court on financial contributions.

Malcolm Douglass

(Dunedin City, Southland District)

Malcolm Douglass has had a long career in local government as a civil engineer, a town planner and a senior manager. He is currently a practicing consultant in strategic planning, transportation and local government. This includes research in the history and evolution of local government and in particular planning, transportation and local governance. He is a part time university lecturer and also acts as a planning hearings commissioner.

Simon Markham

(Grey District Council, Marlborough District Council)

Simon is based in Christchurch and currently managing a project for the Department of Internal Affairs developing for delivery via the Internet, an information resource about the local government sector in New Zealand. Among his experience prior to that are a variety of planning and management roles in local government over a period of 20 years.