Nicki Williams is the kind of planner who reminds you that planning is ultimately about people, their stories, their whenua, their futures. Calm, considered, and values driven, she brings over two decades of experience across local government, central government, and consultancy. Her leadership is grounded in integrity, honesty, and a deep belief that good planning shapes thriving communities.

Her voice is steady and deliberate as she talks about the shifting resource management landscape, the responsibility planners carry, and why partnership and values matter more than ever. For Nicki, planning is not just about interpreting rules. It is about understanding how decisions ripple across generations.

A Chance Encounter That Became a Calling

Nicki never planned to be a planner.

At high school she thought she would become a primary school teacher, until one day she tagged along to a university open day with her brother’s friends. By chance, she walked into a planning presentation.

“Something about how planning connects people and place just spoke to me,” she recalls.

That moment changed the course of her life. Since then, her career has taken her through the heart of Aotearoa’s planning system, working across councils, large infrastructure projects, complex consenting processes, court proceedings, and now consultancy.

But what keeps her passionate is simple, the people and the purpose. 

“Planning is never just about the rules. It is about how decisions affect communities, landscapes, culture, and wellbeing.
Nicki Williams

The Projects That Shape a Planner

When asked what project stands out the most, Nicki does not hesitate. She turns to the complex and highly scrutinised applications to subdivide land behind Wainuiototo Bay (New Chums Beach) near Whangapoua, where she was the Council processing planner between 2010 and 2015.

The proposal drew national and international attention, with significant debate around landscape and natural character values, cultural heritage, and the future of one of Aotearoa’s most iconic beaches.

“It involved intense public interest, technical assessments, cultural considerations, and years of engagement,” she reflects. “Projects like that remind you of the weight of what we do, balancing expectations, understanding the story of a place, and finding a pathway through.”

That experience stayed with her. Even today, when scoping new projects, she often recalls the complexity and responsibility of New Chums Beach, and the importance of clarity, communication, and managing expectations.

Navigating RMA Reform: Challenge, Change, and Opportunity

Nicki is closely following the reform of the Resource Management Act, a once in a generation reset of Aotearoa’s planning system. She sees both opportunity and risk.

The new system, with the Planning Act and Natural Environment Act, proposes a shift towards enabling land use, nationally standardised zones, faster decision making, and fewer consents.

“There is a clear drive to streamline and speed up processes,” she says. “There will be fewer resource consents and a greater focus on externalities rather than traditional effects management.”

Spatial Plans will replace Regional Policy Statements, and planners will be required to think more strategically and systemically.

But change comes with uncertainty.

“Moving from one system to another always creates unknowns. Aotearoa’s planning system has always had strong public interest, so time and care are needed to design a framework that is enduring.”

Her advice to clients is straightforward, bring planning in early. Late involvement limits the ability to shape a project in ways that respect community, environment, and long-term outcomes.

“It is like being handed a cake and asked to make it gluten free,” she says with a laugh. “You can scrape off the icing, but it still has flour in it. Real impact happens when we help write the recipe from the start.”