Harris Planning Limited was established in January 2026 by Tim Harris, following a career spanning more than 30 years in Canterbury local government.

Tim held senior leadership roles at Selwyn District Council — including Executive Director and Planning Manager — as well as positions at Christchurch City Council and Banks Peninsula District Council. Over that time he worked across the full range of resource management functions, from consenting and enforcement through to strategic growth planning, district plan reviews, and representation reviews.

Establishing Harris Planning Limited was a deliberate move — to take that depth of experience and make it available independently, to councils and private clients who benefit from senior planning expertise without the overhead of a large firm.

Tim holds Making Good Decisions Chair certification, the highest tier of commissioner accreditation in New Zealand, and is a full Member of the New Zealand Planning Institute. He holds a Master of Regional and Resource Planning with Distinction from the University of Otago and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Canterbury.

The practice is based in Cashmere, Christchurch, and works across Canterbury and the wider South Island. Harris Planning Limited holds SiteWise prequalification with a 100% health and safety score.

Tim's approach is straightforward — good planning is about clear thinking, sound statutory reasoning, and decisions that hold up. He brings that same rigour whether he is chairing a complex hearing, auditing an officer report, or advising a private client on a difficult consent.