Regulatory & Consents Coordinator

About the role

Environment Southland, also known as Southland Regional Council, works with the community to manage Southland’s land, water, air, and coastal environment in a sustainable way. The council covers a wide and varied area from Stewart Island to Fiordland. This role offers the chance to join the organisation as a Regulatory & Consents Coordinator.

What you’ll focus on

• Develop and sustain trusted working relationships with mana whenua, regulators, and external partners such as Fish & Game and DOC.
• Help strengthen the organisation’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, responsible environmental management, and strong regulatory practice.
• Spot consent needs early and manage them proactively so that risk, cost, and delays are reduced later in the process.
• Bring regulatory considerations into planning and delivery from the outset rather than leaving them until the end.
• Give clear advice on requirements, expectations, and timeframes so stakeholders have confidence in the process.

Experience and knowledge needed

• A qualification in environmental management, planning, regulatory compliance, project management, or a similar area, or equivalent hands-on experience.
• Proven experience working in or alongside regulatory and consenting processes, ideally in infrastructure, environmental management, or local government.
• Good working knowledge of the resource consent process and relevant legislation, including the Resource Management Act 1991, National Environmental Standards for Freshwater, and applicable regional planning frameworks.
• Experience coordinating multiple workstreams, keeping to deadlines, and tracking deliverables across complex programmes of work.
• The ability to work ahead of issues, handle competing priorities, and stay effective with little supervision.
• Experience preparing, coordinating, reviewing, or contributing to consent documents; direct drafting experience would be an advantage, but is not essential.
• A solid understanding of consent application processes, along with the related management, compliance, and reporting requirements.
• Project coordination or management training would be helpful, though it is not required.
• Strong communication skills for working with internal teams, external stakeholders, and members of the public.
• Ability to handle disagreement constructively and work toward collaborative solutions.
• Confident use of Microsoft Office, plus a willingness to learn council-specific systems and software.
• Ability to assess and interpret information to support regulatory decisions and reporting.
• High accuracy and close attention to detail.
• A full, current driver’s licence.

Additional information

Environment Southland highlights a lifestyle with access to beaches, rivers, lakes, ski fields, national parks, and excellent sporting facilities. The organisation values work-life balance and aims to support staff accordingly. Southland also offers affordable housing, short travel times, and a strong selection of schools.

Application details

Applicants were instructed to apply through Environment Southland’s recruitment portal using reference code 6911333. A cover letter is an important part of the selection process and should clearly show how your background matches the role’s key requirements. The advertised remuneration range is $76,410 to $80,655. Applications close on 2 August 2026.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi expectations

All staff at Environment Southland are expected to support the council’s Te Tiriti o Waitangi responsibilities in their daily work. This may include delivering functions under legislation where Te Tiriti or partnership with mana whenua applies, and supporting commitments made by elected councillors to Ngāi Tahu ki Murihiku through the Charter of Understanding.