Barker & Associates (B&A) is a New Zealand owned and operated firm specialising in Planning and Urban Design. They have offices from Kerikeri to Wanaka, covering everything planning and the places in-between. We’re thrilled to welcome Barker & Associates as our latest NZPI Supporter.
Briar Belgrave is an Auckland based partner at B&A. Founded in 1997, the company is now one of New Zealand's largest firms of specialist planners and urban designers. B&A has maintained its roots, “Planning firms are often grounded in engineering and the company has kept to its heart of focusing on planning and urban design". We’re led by 5 directors and 4 partners and are a highly experienced team. As a company, we service clients nationwide from across our 12 offices.
Despite having over 60 staff in multiple locations, Briar says they’ve maintained a close-knit team. “Our staff are regularly visiting and working with team members across all our offices on different projects". Briar says this gives their planners and urban designers the experience of working in different areas and using different plans. “This gives us a particular depth of knowledge of many regional policy statements, regional plans and districts plans".
The company has been growing and building its expertise, knowledge and specialised skillsets. Now they're in a position to help provide support by working alongside and with NZPI to upskill and grow the profession, including supporting emerging planners. Planners are being faced with lots of changes with the RM reforms and the implementation of national direction that is ongoing. The team at B&A feel privileged to be able to be a part of the changing landscape and are committed to helping guide and shape the future of planning where they can.
B&A are long supporters of NZPI and are regular sponsors of the annual conference, most recently at NZPIC24. The company has had successive representatives on the EP committee, as well as staff who sit on the Full membership interview panels. The B&A team are supported within the company to become NZPI members, with senior staff providing support to planners working towards their full membership. "In the last few years B&A staff have presented at NZPI conferences on natural hazards, climate change and spatial planning. We believe this is a great way to give back to the industry, explore opportunities, challenges and lessons learnt and ultimately share knowledge and learn in a collaborative way. This thought leadership is one way to give back and have a positive impact on the profession".
B&A is one of the largest specialist planning and urban design firms in New Zealand and our planners are unique in their skillsets and the diversity of work that we do. A range of services are offered for clients across the private, local and central government sectors with B&A being leaders in many areas of work, some technical and specialised.
The skill sets of the B&A staff and the diversity of projects is what differs the company from others. They have experience working on a large spectrum of projects from simple to complex consenting and development projects, private plan changes, regional and district plan reviews, strategic spatial planning and growth strategies, national direction instruments, iwi / hapū consultation and joint management agreements, master planning and landscape visual assessments. B&A are fortunate to have staff with specialised expertise in a range of areas, for example Te Ao Māori , spatial planning, natural hazards and climate change, infrastructure and freshwater. Briar says, "the level of expertise and knowledge within the company is what makes B&A a great place to work and learn, but also means we are in a position to work on a range of interesting and challenging projects. We have staff who have completed a large climate change adaptation research project for the New Zealand Climate Change Commission, and innovative projects in the Te Ao Māori planning space such as the Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe Beach Management Plan (see here) and Te Tai Tokerau Māori and Council Strategic Intent.
Briar has enjoyed seeing the company grow recently in its role in supporting clients with spatial planning throughout New Zealand. The role of spatial planning is becoming elevated and B&A have been able to help realise the benefits of strategic spatial planning for many councils in New Zealand particularly in informing Regional and District Plans. "The spatial planning process is a great way to combine together the skills of our staff at B&A and have a holistic approach to long term planning; considering growth pressures, well-functioning urban environments, finite resources, the natural environment, natural hazards and climate change adaptation. We also work hard to ensure an iwi / hapū lens is applied through the spatial planning process and that iwi / hapū are recognised as Te Tiriti / Treaty partners in spatial planning projects".
B&A prides themselves on their collaborative and solution focused approach to working. We like to build strong positive relationships with our clients and deliver pragmatic and creative planning and design solutions. The team is committed to continuing to grow its capabilities and delivering high quality results for our clients.
