Amanda Dewar is a highly experienced barrister specialising in environmental, resource management, and local government law. With over 40 years in the field, Amanda brings a wealth of expertise gained through roles at the Christchurch City Council, a private planning consultancy, and more than 25 years leading the Resource Management team at a national law firm.
Her practice spans a wide range of complex legal matters including Public Works Act issues, earthquake recovery, climate change, and large-scale urban developments. Amanda is known for her pragmatic and strategic approach, often working within multidisciplinary teams to manage statutory plan and consenting processes for major infrastructure and development sites and projects.
She has advised clients such as Wellington International Airport, Queenstown Airport Corporation, Lyttelton Port Company, Ngāi Tahu Property Ltd, and various local authorities and developers on matters ranging from designations and plan changes to resource consents and heritage issues.
This broad background enables her to take a pragmatic and strategic approach to giving legal advice and provides a strong background of experience for any RMA Commissioner role.
Amanda also holds notable professional appointments, including serving on the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Review Panel and chaired an expert consenting panel under the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020.
