Voluntary Planning Assistance: Giving Back Through the Planning Profession

Abstract

Central to planning is serving communities. Yet, for many New Zealanders, engaging with the planning system can be daunting, expensive and confusing. While planners routinely assist clients in understanding legislation, navigating planning provisions and working through consenting processes, there are relatively few avenues of support for people who cannot afford professional planning advice. This challenge prompted my 2023 research into Voluntary Planning Assistance (VPA) – the provision of planning advice by planners on a voluntary basis to help individuals and community groups better understand and engage with planning processes (Betteridge, 2023). Although the concept has been established internationally for several decades, it remains relatively undeveloped in Aotearoa New Zealand. The idea behind VPA is simple. Just as lawyers undertake pro bono work and engineers contribute their expertise to community projects, planners can also give back to society by sharing their professional knowledge and skills with those who may otherwise struggle to access planning advice. This article briefly reflects on my research and the subsequent actions taken by a small group of like-minded planners to explore how VPA could be developed and supported in New Zealand.