Te ara whakarite, te ara tae atu hoki ki tētahi whakawākanga mō PC 120 How to prepare for and attend a PC 120 hearing

You can present your views at a PC 120 hearing or attend a hearing.

Steps to prepare for a hearing

Check your notification

We will send you a notification letter or email in late April 2026. The letter will include:

• hearing date
• hearing topic
• time
• venue.

Check Additional guidance, support and services for PC 120 hearings if you need more information on support and services.

Hearing topic

If your submission is on multiple topics in the plan change, you will be invited to attend multiple hearings. You can:

• attend any number of hearings
• prepare evidence for a hearing.

Confirm attendance

To confirm you will attend a hearing, you must:

• email the hearings advisor
• mention if you would like to attend in person or online
• provide details if you have experts and legal representatives.

Review documents

We recommend you read the:

• Hearings Procedures Manual which will be available on PC 120 Independent Hearings Panel documents in March 2026
• council's evidence which will be available in mid-2026.

Submit evidence

If you feel your submission makes your views clear, you do not need to supply evidence. However, if you choose to, both expert and non-expert evidence is allowed.

You will need to submit evidence as a digital PDF or Word document. Download the template to write your evidence from Additional guidance, support and services for PC 120.

The evidence should provide:

• additional information to support your submission
• details about the change you have requested for PC 120.

Email your evidence to the hearing advisor by the date and time given in your notification letter.

Late evidence

If you do not provide your evidence on time, the Independent Hearing Panel will decide if you can present it.

You must submit 10 printed copies of your evidence to the hearing advisor if:

• the panel allows you to present late evidence
• you are not submitting any expert evidence.

Types of Evidence

Expert evidence

Expert evidence comes from an independent person who has qualifications and experience in a particular area. This includes:

• planners
• architects
• engineers
• scientists or urban designers
• kaumātua Elderly man, elderly woman. A person of status within the whānau, hapū, iwi.  
• kuia Elderly woman, grandmother. .

Expert evidence should follow the guidelines provided in the Procedures Manual on PC 120 Independent Hearings Panel documents.

Non-expert evidence

Non-expert or 'lay' evidence comes from someone who is not an expert. This is allowed at the hearings.

Lay submitters can provide personal statements and supporting information. The evidence should:

• be to the point
• explain the issues of concern
• include the changes you would like.

Attending a hearing

This section includes information for those wishing to attend or observe a PC 120 hearing.

Who can attend

You can attend a hearing if you:

• made any type of submission
• indicated in the submission that you wish to attend or speak at the hearing.

The hearings advisor will send you an email or letter with the time and date of your hearing. We will give you notice of 10 working days.

Members of the public and media may attend as observers.

How to attend

Your notification letter will include:

• venue details for in-person
• MS team link for online hearings.

Venues for hearing

We make sure the hearing venue is easy for everyone to access. Check Additional guidance, support and services for PC 120 hearings if you need special assistance, for example, wheelchair access or a New Zealand Sign Language interpreter.

Speaking at a hearing

• You will be given about 10 minutes.
• Focus on your main points and supporting evidence.
• You do not need to read your submission aloud, as the panel will have read it in advance.
• The panel may ask you questions.

Online hearing

You can choose to speak at an online hearing. Your notification letter will include details of the online hearing.

What to expect at a hearing

• On arrival, sign in with the hearings advisor.
• Head to the public seating area.
• If you are scheduled to speak, wait until you are called up to speak. The panel may ask you questions about your submission and evidence, if you submitted.
• If you are scheduled to speak online on a MS Teams link, check:
  • that the link works
  • you have a good internet connection
  • sound and camera settings are turned on and that you are in a quiet space.
• Scheduled speaking times within a hearing may change at short notice. If this happens, the hearings advisor will contact you as soon as possible.
• Hearings are generally public.

Important reading before attending your hearing

Before attending your hearing, we recommend you read the:

• relevant evidence and documents
• Hearings Procedures Manual on PC 120 Independent Hearings Panel documents.