Peter established Wilson Environmental to provide direct, senior involvement in planning work where the statutory answer cannot be separated from the technical evidence or the way land is actually used.
Experience across the system
Peter has worked in local and central government, environmental advocacy, farmer representation and private consultancy. His previous roles include ten years in RMA lead roles with Fish & Game, statutory/RMA planner with the Department of Conservation, principal policy planner for Federated Farmers, principal policy planner at Waimakariri District Council
That experience spans water consents and freshwater planning, district and regional plan processes, hearings and expert evidence, conservation and public land, rural environmental regulation, residential rezoning and subdivision. Peter has deep experience with Council hearings, Environment Court mediation, case management and strategy, and has appeared many times as an expert witness
Planning and physical geography
Peter’s first degree is in physical geography, with particular grounding in hydrology and landscape processes. He combines that science background with a Master of Planning and practical capability in geospatial analytics/GIS, software engineering, flood modelling and development design.
This does not replace specialist engineering, ecological or legal advice. It does make it much easier to identify what specialist evidence is actually required, frame the right questions and integrate the answers into a coherent planning case and respond to curve balls in an integrated way
Evidence and decisions
As a Certified Hearings Commissioner, Peter understands the distinction between a strongly held position and a proposition supported by admissible, relevant evidence. His advice is directed toward decisions that are workable, procedurally fair and capable of surviving scrutiny. Peter understands the art as well as the science of planning, of getting difficult, often stubborn organisations to make the right decisions
Selected areas of experience
- Water allocation, water quality, land-use and discharge consent matters.
- District and regional plan preparation, submissions and hearings.
- Residential rezoning and subdivision from small infill projects to staged medium-scale development.
- Crown pastoral land, conservation planning, concessions and rural access matters.
- Natural hazards, stormwater and infrastructure interfaces in development planning.
- Difficult consent processes, contested conditions and planning support for legal proceedings.