Benefit from 20 years of experience
Empowering Informed Development Decisions
At Beyond Planning, we specialize in transforming complex regulatory landscapes into streamlined pathways for success. With two decades of expertise, we guide you through the intricacies of project consents, ensuring your vision becomes reality.
ALEX WAKEFIELD, M.NZPI
Principal Town Planner / Director of Beyond Planning NZ Limited
Leader in Strategic Planning and Resource Consents in New Zealand’s South Island.
With two decades of experience, Alex Wakefield leads Beyond Planning, providing a clear path to success for your development projects. Based in Timaru, we are a trusted partner for astute decision-makers across the South Island.
We secure more than resource consents; we act as a strategic partner, simplifying the entire development journey from start to finish. Our expertise empowers you to make informed decisions and achieve your goals faster, ensuring your projects are efficient and aligned with your business objectives.
Alex Wakefield is an accomplished and results-driven Town Planner with 20 years of experience in successfully guiding clients through New Zealand’s complex Resource Management Act (RMA) processes.
The dual experience of leading regulatory compliance for a District Council that requires comprehensive resource management knowledge, as well as insights gained from directing a successful private planning consultancy is what makes, Alex Wakefield and Beyond Planning unique. These factors assist in negotiating effectively with Council staff and secure optimal outcomes on time and within budget.
Beyond Planning is about resolving complex, contentious projects, including large-scale infrastructure, commercial expansion, and intricate rural subdivisions; doing the small things well, so that you, the customer, get professional advice that sidesteps mistakes at a price that fits what is needed to get the job done right, first time.
Phone: 021 309 788
Email: alex@beyondplanning.nz
Location: Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand
PROJECT AND ROLE ACHIEVEMENTS
Leadership in Regulatory Compliance
- Council-Wide Leadership: Directed and managed a team of up to eight planning
officers responsible for all resource consent processing, ensuring regulatory integrity
and efficient service delivery for the district. - High-Volume Decision Making: Served as a Delegated Decision-Maker (DCM),
personally making decisions on approximately 900 consent applications. This
required consistent, sound judgment across a vast range of planning issues including
Subdivision and Land use consents in both rural and urban environments, Certificates
of Compliance, Outline Plans and Designations. - Strategic Planning: Successfully Project Managed the Timaru District Plan
review until notification of the Proposed Plan, and took a lead role in the process
managing public feedback and engaging with key stakeholders such as major rural
industry and primary industry groups, the Heritage Steering Group, and the Takata
Whenua Steering Group.
Complex Private Sector Planning
- Commercial Infrastructure: Secured complex resource consents for major national
commercial expansions (e.g., Bunnings), involving extensive negotiation with
Auckland Transport and managing technical planning requirements. - Environmental Solutions: Developed and implemented specialised Environmental
Management Plans (EMPs) that successfully managed flood risks and mitigated
adverse ecological effects on sensitive habitats, ensuring project delivery while
meeting environmental standards. - Conflict Resolution: Achieved a successful legal mediation for a private client in a
contentious Rural Subdivision case (e.g., Outstanding Natural Landscape (ONL
matter) appeal to a District Council decision avoiding prolonged litigation. - Statutory Approvals: Secured necessary Notices of Requirement (NORs) for large-
scale utility and infrastructure assets (Roads, Telecommunications, Electricity) while
working as a Senior Planner for a Council.
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Commercial and Project Skills
- Client Advocacy and Negotiation
- Strategic Stakeholder Engagement
- Team Direction and Mentoring
- Mediation and Expert Witness
- Due Diligence and Feasibility
- Technical Planning Expertise
- Resource Management Act (RMA) Compliance
- District Interpretation and Review
- Complex Resource Consent Processing
- Heritage and Environmental Risk Assessment
- Notices of Requirement (NORs)
PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
- Team Leader, Resource Consents and Compliance (Timaru District Council)
January 2018 – August 2025 - Principal Planner and Owner (Wakefield Planning Services) January 2014 – March
2016 - Planning Roles (NZ Local Government and Private Practice) 2003 – 2013
EDUCATION AND AFFILIATIONS
- Bachelor of Arts and Master of Planning Practice (University of Auckland)
- Full Member, New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI) – Since 2003
- NZPI Auckland Committee Member (2008 and 2009)
What Our Clients Say
★★★★★
Linda Hill
Business Owner
★★★★★
Sarah Williams
Director, EcoBuild Solutions
★★★★★
Michael Lee
CEO, Urban Innovations
Insights and Updates
Unlock Your Project's Potential
Ready to navigate the complexities of planning and resource consents with confidence? Partner with Beyond Planning to streamline your journey. With over 20 years of expertise, we provide the strategic insight and regulatory finesse needed to turn your vision into reality. Contact us today to ensure your projects are not only approved but optimized for success.