Business North December / January 2021

| 5 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Far North - Tohu Consulting “I’m just really happy to be in a position to support our local community and play a part in forming how this wonderful environment will look for those living in and visiting the Far North.” Nina Pivac Tapping the potential of the Far North Sue Russell Tohu Consulting provides resource management and planning services to both Council and individual property developers and delivers environmental education. N ina Pivac established Kaitaia-based environmental consulting business, Tohu Consulting Limited in July 2019 and, when Business North spoke with her, she said the first year had gone very well. “We provide resource management and planning services, to both Council and individ- ual property developers. We also deliver envi- ronmental education covering a wide range of clients and audiences.” Nina’s working experience has been in the wider Northland Region and prior to starting Tohu Consulting, she was working for a whole raft of clients as a consultant planner. She says this time was really valuable, helping her see the best direction to take her own business in. There’s a healthy respect and level of professional regard in the Far North for those working in environmental planning, something Nina celebrates. Having gained a Bachelor of Environmental Science and then a Post-Graduate Diploma in Planning, Nina says she is well-equipped to understand the processes and tensions that exist within the Resource Management Act. While she has spent the last year assisting Far North District Council in processing resource consents, her private client base has also sub- stantially grown which has seen her helping clients to obtain resource consent approval for a variety of projects. These include new builds, subdivisions, and other exciting projects such as the Sir Hek Busby Kupe Waka Centre located near Aurere Beach in the Far North. “There is a strong trend of people from the Auckland Region and other parts of the coun- try wanting to move up here, to find their little piece of paradise and safe haven, and this is particularly true since Covid-19 struck. A lot of people are also wanting to return home and settle.” Asked whether Council is sufficiently geared to cope with this influx Nina says there are resource limitations impacting on resource consent timeframes and overall costs. “The Resource Management Act is very outdated and Council processes can be very slow and this is particularly a problem given the housing crisis. “From my experience, I am able to help meet the social needs of our community whilst guiding clients through the daunting RMA process.” When it was first established in 1991, the RMA set out to balance a whole range of var- iables. Today, different stresses are impact- ing on its ability to be an effective long-term planning tool. “We have to find a way that effectively enables our community to thrive through adapting resource management processes in a manner that meets our social needs whilst maintaining a core responsibility to the environment. I am hopeful the current review of the Act will bring about positive change for our region and the nation.” And reflecting back on her first year in business Nina says she feels very fortunate to have had established networks to draw on when offering the services Tohu Consulting does. She is also quietly optimistic about grow- ing the business, with future plans to form partnerships with other local consultancies to meet the resource management needs of the growing Northland community. “This region is growing really fast especially since Covid-19, and I am confident that we as local business owners and decision-makers will be able to collaborate and adapt to this changing environment. “I’m just really happy to be in a position to support our local community and play a part in forming how this wonderful environment will look for those living in and visiting the Far North.” 020 4 GUMMYS www.gumbootsconsultingengineers.co.nz gumbootsconsulting@gmail.com GEOTECHNICAL, CIVIL, STRUCTURAL & DRAUGHTING SERVICES • Project Management • Aerial Surveying & Mapping • Geotechnical Appraisals • Site Classifications • Building Consent • Foundation Assessments • Earthworks Monitoring • Resource Consent • Engineering Reports