After four years at the Waitaki District Council, working as the heritage and planning manager, Mr Barrell is moving on to take up a role at the Timaru District Council, as district planning manager.
Mr Barrell helped shape the district plan, and its review, during his time in Waitaki, and said the council punched ‘‘above our weight in the national scene’’.
‘‘Behind the scenes a massive amount of mahi has been done on the district plan review.
‘‘Not only that, but what has been drafted has been written with the future changes of regional policy, and the resource management reform in mind,’’ Mr Barrell said.
‘‘We just have to have the courage to push play and get on with the formal side to the process.’’
Planning was about how areas were shaped for the future, and it allowed him to go on adventures to discover some hidden treasures throughout Waitaki.
He enjoyed exploring Waitaki’s geopark sites, and issuing the consent for Disney’s movie Mulan, filmed in the Ahuriri Valley in 2018, ‘‘under tight secrecy’’ was a highlight.
He was proud to see the council’s capabilities expand to meet higher expectations, the development planning for Oamaru’s waterfront, and assisting Ohau residents following the fire.
However, the job had not come without its challenges, including the Ohau fire, lockdowns and carbon farming.
‘‘There’s an increasing understanding of the damage being done to the environment in the community, but less knowledge about how the planning system itself works.
‘‘Who can blame people given the increasing complexity?
‘‘What I would say, is that it’s understandably hard for a person whose committed time and money into a project to want to consider any negative effects the project might have on their neighbours, or further afield, and you’re never going to please everyone.’’
Each project was building a lasting physical legacy, and sometimes common sense needed to be defended when it came to building in a natural hazard area, he said.
Mr Barrell previously worked for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and has had various consulting and council planning roles in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
He has also worked for the Ministry for the Environment in Wellington, and wrote a book, Build Over There, about understanding the Government’s role in shaping cities.
In Waitaki, he was part of the Mackenzie Basin alignment steering committee, involving the Mackenzie and Waitaki District Councils, Environment Canterbury, Land Information New Zealand and the Department of Conservation.
He said would miss the people in the Waitaki district and the diverse work up and down the Waitaki Valley.
‘‘Kaore he mea I tua atu — there’s nothing better.’’
