Review panel members announced

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee today announced the make-up of the independent review panel that will assess all legislative and regulatory changes under the new Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act.

The four-person panel will be chaired by former senior High Court judge Sir John Hansen. Sir John Hansen was a High Court Judge from 1995 to 2008, working predominantly in Christchurch, and is the current chair of the Red Cross Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Commission.

"Sir John has had a distinguished career in the law, both in New Zealand and overseas, and is well-respected with a good understanding of the issues facing Christchurch as it works to recovery from the devastating earthquakes," Mr Brownlee says.

Under the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act, the panel will review draft Orders in Council, and make recommendations to Ministers as to whether they consider the Order in Council to be appropriate.

The other members of the review panel will be former Prime Minister Rt Hon Dame Jenny Shipley, Anake Goodall and Murray Sherwin.

Dame Jenny was New Zealand Prime Minister from 1997-99, a Member of Parliament for the Canterbury seat of Rakaia from 1987 to 2002, and currently holds several directorships and has served on a number of advisory boards.

Mr Anake Goodall is the former chief executive of Te Runanga O Ngai Tahu and has extensive experience in the community and iwi development sectors. He is currently on the establishment board of the Environmental Protection Authority and is a director of Meridian Energy.

Mr Murray Sherwin was the chair of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Commission, which was disestablished by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act. He is the current chair of the Productivity Commission and former Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

"This announcement is an important step towards ensuring the recovery efforts in Canterbury maintain their momentum," Mr Brownlee says.

For more information about the Canterbury recovery efforts visit: www.cera.govt.nz