What's your job about?
I am a part of the emerging professionals programme which is a 2-year graduate programme offering three 8-month rotations across the organisation in different teams. It is a fantastic career development opportunity, with my first rotation being in the environmental planning team.
Waka Kotahi is primarily responsible for maintaining and developing New Zealand’s land transport system. Other parts of the business also have a regulatory function, managing areas such as vehicle registration, on road safety and drivers licencing
My role in the environmental planning team as an environmental planner focuses on processing land use development applications (LUDs) which are made by members of the public or developers who own properties which adjoin parts of the state highway network. Often development along properties which adjoin the state highway will have an adverse effect on the safe and efficient function of the state highway network due to increased levels of traffic generation.
When processing a LUD my role as a planner is to ensure that Waka Kotahi has a comprehensive understanding of the development and the potential effects it will have on the section of state highway it adjoins. Our main areas of focus are how the property is accessed off the state highway (think either directly which is common in rural locations or via a local side road in more urban locations), the standard of that access (think size and shape), and the expected level of traffic generation (the number of vehicles going to and from the site per day).
After compiling this information in a planning memo, I contact our in-house safety engineers and network managers often referred to as subject matter experts (SMEs) for their expert advice and recommendations on how to best manage the effects the proposed land use development may generate to ensure the integrity of the state highway network is maintained.
Depending on the scale of development our subject matter experts will request that the environmental planning team ask the developer or property owner to carry out certain standard upgrades to their access onto the state highway. In particular cases when there is a higher level of risk, we may advise developers that their proposal is unsafe, and they need to reconsider their approach.
The overall function of my role is to facilitate development adjoining state highway while ensuring that the safety and wellbeing of general state highway road users, and, the future residents of developments is protected.
What's your background?
My mother was born in raised in Auckland and moved to the UK early in life where she meet my father. They lived there for a number of years with my two brothers, until 2001 when they decided to move back to Auckland. I happened to be born that year at the Auckland Birth care centre and have been living in Auckland ever since.
Although high school was enjoyable, I think that there is only so much secondary level curriculums can teach you and they a primarily focused on building a broad range of foundational knowledge. The longer I spent there, the less focus I had.
A lot of the good experiences in my life are centred around work and university. I managed to get a variety of different jobs in different sectors such as retail, hospitality, and sales before I locked into a set career pathway. Getting to experience that variety of work meant meeting a lot of passionate and kind people, who were always willing to train and educate me. I gained a lot of respect for people who work in hospitality and retail as it is a tough industry to persevere in.
When it came to university, like many people I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, and I happened to stumble across the Bachelor of Urban Planning (Hons) degree. I learnt a lot about economics, policy, law and infrastructure planning and it was pivotal in opening up my eyes to the world of development and government and the contention that exists between the two.
Towards the end of my degree like most other students I started to look for graduate positioned. One day the thought crossed my mind that Waka Kotahi, our countries largest infrastructure developer must have an environmental planning team. I checked their website, found the programme and applied the day before applications closed! I’ve been enjoying working at Waka Kotahi ever since.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
In most cases I think that it is necessary to have a qualification in environmental or urban planning from an accredited institution to practice as an environmental planner. The background knowledge and skills provided by tertiary education and training definitely make approaching the profession far more straightforward. I also feel that because the role involves a lot of decision making, judgements, and interaction with the public it is important to have a certain level of qualification and professional background to ensure that consistency and accountability is maintained across the planning field.
In this role our team works at a national level, with different district and regional councils. Every council has different rules and requirements under their district plans. Interpreting and understanding these rules, alongside the purpose of the Resource Management Act 1991 and the Government Roading Powers Act 1989 is a crucial part of the role. My Bachelor of Urban Planners (Hons) gave me the foundational knowledge required to understand and interpret the relevant legislation, as well as how to apply district plan policies, objectives, rules and standards. Without this I believe entering this role at Waka Kotahi would have been far more challenging.
I do think that with the correct guidance, mentorship and on the job training that someone not from a planning background could undertake the role, however, I do think that they would benefit from further training and qualification. The emerging professional programme does a good job of balancing requirements for qualifications with a supportive mentoring/training environment, alongside further learning opportunities at no cost. Currently I am doing a project management micro credential.
As my role on the environmental planning team is customer facing at times and involves a high level of communication with internal experts and external customers communication and customer service skills are key.
At times you may also be handling up to 15 land use development applications which all require the same level of attention and care. Time management, self-management and taking accountability for your decisions are key skills that you need to develop and foster over time. It is important to recognise that we are required to ask some property owners who come to Waka Kotahi to undertake upgrades and work they may not have anticipated, and it is necessary to have empathy and understanding for their situation while still ensuring that the safest outcome for the state highway network is achieved.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The best part of the emerging professional programme is the supportive network of other graduates present within the organisation who have fostered a friendly and approachable work culture. On top of this the rotational opportunities are genuine and provide you with the opportunity to experience different roles or areas of a business you may not have considered before.
On top of the programme the environmental planning team at Waka Kotahi has the supportive team environment. There are several very experience and knowledgeable team members with decades of planning experience who have always been willing to help when required and able, as well as answer any questions or queries I may have. There is so much to learn, and this has been great for my professional development.
I am often dealing with a number of customers with different requirements, requests and needs. This can be tiring at times, and it is incredibly satisfying when you are able to ensure that our requirements as managers of New Zealand’s land transport system are meet, while simultaneously getting the property owner or developer onside and understanding of these requirements.
What are the limitations of your job?
I think one limitation of this job is that you must genuinely enjoy communicating with customers, property owners and developers. Customer service is a key part of the role as environmental planners are often in constant communication with members of the public looking to develop along the state highway or undertake other forms of work which need our approval. If you are not a people person or do not like customer service than it may not be the right space for you to develop your career.
You’ll also likely face a lot of situations where there is no clear answer, and standard one size fits all solutions and approaches do not work. This requires you to be able to adjust to the circumstances and requirements of each application as your assessment is carried out and more information comes to light. You will need to think critically and support your decisions with a well thought out argument and clear evidence. Sometimes even applications that appear straightforward can have catches.
Another point to note is that development is a constantly ongoing process, and the environmental planning team receives a consistent stream of applications throughout the year. Land use development applications are just one of the pieces of work environmental planners do and so at times if you do not remain on top of your work, it can become overwhelming. Luckily the team is very supportive and understanding which compensates for this a lot. Working under a manageable level of pressure often makes the job more enjoyable and engaging.
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