Talking Southern Auckland is the Conversation and Commentary from Senior Policy Planner, Ben Ross.

Talking Southern Auckland focuses on the urban geography issues of mainly Southern Auckland (Manukau, Manurewa-Papakura, and Franklin Wards) with occasional pieces from wider Auckland or overseas that might have consequences to the South.

 

My role as Senior Policy Planner fuses research and policy development with the practical implementation of resource management objectives. My focus lies in ensuring equitable outcomes for both urban and rural communities, informed by my experience in spatial planning and human experience engineering. Our team excels in collaborating across different organizational departments to deliver comprehensive resource management policies.

My commitment to enhancing quality of life is manifested through dedicated stakeholder engagement and management, alongside my prowess in urban design and transport planning. Thanks to a background in presenting and teaching urban planning, I am skilled in conveying complex concepts in accessible ways. As a distinguished Toastmaster, I leverage my communication expertise to advocate for human-centred urbanism and influence policy changes.

Meanwhile, some of the many hats I wear on any given day can be:

• Policy Planning (the Resource Management Act and all that it entails)
• Spatial Planning
• Urban Design
• Transport Planning
• Wayfinding Design
• Peer Reviews
• Teaching Urban and Transport Planning
• Story Teller
• Stakeholder Engagement/Management

I am also a Distinguished Toastmaster with Toastmasters NZ. The DTM being the highest accolade a Toastmaster can get with communication and leadership

 

So join me in the conversation on Southern Auckland