The integrity of council planning consultants has been questioned by an environment lawyer at a resource consent hearing in Wanaka, where Lakes Environmental staff were accused of "reverse engineering" their reports.
Dunedin lawyer Phil Page took umbrage at contradictory reports prepared by Lakes Environmental (LE) landscape architect Andrew Norwood, after a different planner - Kirsty Huxford - was appointed to handle a resource consent application from long-time Wanaka residents Denis and Olwyn Pezaro for a building platform at their 58ha Cardrona Valley property.
Mr Page called for the flip-flop report from LE to independent commissioners John Matthews and Lyal Cocks to be dropped.
"It is simply not appropriate for a planner who is the handling officer for the application to influence the opinion of the landscape architect.
The impression one gets is that the planner has reverse-engineered the conclusions in her report by influencing the landscape architect's report in which she purports to rely."
Mr Page said a report prepared by Mr Norwood on January 20 was released to the Pezaros on March 12.
It concluded there was no reason why consent should not be granted.
However on June 10, Wanaka LE planner Mrs Huxford took over the file and visited the site with Mr Norwood. The file records correspondence between the pair.
Mr Norwood released a second report on November 7. It included several changed assessments and did not favour consent being granted.
Mrs Huxford "took issue" at suggestions her planning report was reverse engineered and denied influencing Mr Norwood's second landscape report.
Mr Norwood said his first report had been an "error of judgement" and he stood by the conclusions in his second report to the commissioners and Mrs Huxford.
The commissioners adjourned the hearing and reserved their decision.
