A vacancy has arisen on the Te Kokiringa Taumata | New Zealand Planning Institute Board following Graeme McCarrison’s decision to stand down for personal reasons. 

Graeme’s presence on the Board will be missed. During his tenure as Board member, he has been an active contributor to the Board’s discussion on the future of the profession and how we need to prepare for and respond to the challenges facing the profession such as the RM Reform, the role of technology of an enabler of planning practice, and the need for a fit for purpose all of career education and CPD programme. He has helped foster a more connected culture within the Board, including the introduction of regular well-being sessions as a standing item on the Board agenda.

Graeme has issued the following statement to explain his decision to step off the Board:


    I loved being on the NZPI Board for the last 4 years. It’s been the perfect place to focus my passion for the future of our amazing profession. Diversity of thinking in an environment of trust enables great debates, that is the culture of our Board for which I have played my part

    You’ll remember my January wellbeing article “Yah and/or Nah for 2022 – Concussion a trigger for “Balance” that set out my focus for 2022. Regular reality checks on progress showed me that I had not put enough time/priority on family including learning my Whakapapa from my aging parents. Massive wake-up call for me in that if I was to successfully walk the talk of my wellbeing story, I had to downsize a commitment. So, goodbye Board position. But I can, and will, still be involved in supporting the Board and its work but from the side-line alongside other colleagues that still give back to the profession.

    I am proud of my time on the Board over the last 4 years and changes I have shared in. My passion voice has been promoting a culture of well-being within the Board and profession by sharing my stories, promoting resources to enable members to talk and be safe. Its hard out there covid, isolation, negativity to the profession and massive workloads. Alongside well-being, I have been actively promoting the opportunities of technology as a core platform to support the transformation of the practice planning – go PlanTechNZ. Underlaying everything is enabling our journey to utilise the opportunities of our unique Aotearoa planning environment.

We thank Graeme for his service to the Institute as a Board member.



The NZPI Constitution allows the Board to appoint a replacement should a vacancy arise within an election cycle. However, the Board have made the decision to hold a by-election for the vacant Auckland/Northland seat. Any Auckland/Northland Full member who is interested in standing in this by-election should submit their nomination by completing the nomination form which can be accessed here.

Nominations close at midnight on May 15, 2022.