Rate My Professor Alan Matheson

Alan Matheson serves as Professional Practice Fellow in Planning within the School of Geography at the University of Otago. He coordinates the Planning programme and delivers PLAN438 Planning Practice and Law, a 30-point course required for the Master of Planning Practice degree. This Semester 1 paper, held weekly for two hours on Tuesdays, introduces students to planning practice and law in New Zealand under the Resource Management Act 1991. Through lectures and experiential activities including guest speakers, role plays, council meetings, and mock hearings, the course covers three modules. Module 1 examines the RMA framework, origins, principles, integration of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, political dynamics, media roles, legislative reforms, and professional ethics via the New Zealand Planning Institute Code of Conduct. Module 2 addresses plan preparation, monitoring, review, changes, policy development, Māori resource management aspirations, and report writing in plain English. Module 3 focuses on resource consents, site analysis, decision-making processes, and the ethical role of planners. Assessment is fully internal with five assignments totaling 100%, submitted via email to Matheson with APA or Harvard referencing. He also contributes to teaching GEOG457 Urban Theory and Practice and is a member of the School's Postgraduate Committee for 2025.

Matheson holds a Diploma in Regional and Resource Planning from the University of Otago awarded in 1983. He is a full member of the New Zealand Planning Institute (MNZPI) and an accredited hearings commissioner. Possessing over 40 years of experience in resource management planning, primarily as a consultant to local government, he is the director of AM Planning Limited, established in July 2019. Matheson has prepared Section 42A reports for multiple hearings in the Waikato District Proposed District Plan review, including those on strategic objectives, business and town centre zones, residential zones, and the Lakeside Te Kauwhata site. He has provided evidence in chief for Christchurch City Council on matters such as the Papakainga Kainga Nohoanga Zone in the Replacement District Plan. His professional engagements demonstrate significant involvement in shaping district plan policies across New Zealand regions.