At Resonant, our role extends beyond delivering surveying, planning, civil engineering and land development projects. We are also committed to contributing constructively to discussions that shape the future of Palmerston North and the wider Manawatū region.
That commitment was recently demonstrated when Kevin Judd, Managing Director of Resonant, spoke at hearings before Palmerston North City Council on matters affecting growth, development and infrastructure planning throughout our city.
Kevin Judd
Managing Director
Licenced Cadastral Surveyor
Advocating for Better Information and Better Outcomes
One of the key messages in our submission was the importance of accurate and up-to-date flood modelling. Kevin Judd noted that developers, property owners, consultants and Council all rely on this information when making decisions about land use, flood risk and future development. The submission supported the proposed stormwater strategy and called for the new flood modelling programme to be prioritised and adequately funded to ensure the information remains accurate over time.
Reliable flood data benefits everyone. It helps ensure homes and buildings are designed appropriately, supports informed investment decisions, and enables Council and the development community to work from a common understanding of risk.
A Joined-Up Approach to Infrastructure
The submission also highlighted the importance of coordinating flood modelling and infrastructure planning across agencies.
Resonant advocated for close collaboration between Council, Horizons Regional Council and future water service providers to ensure flood models, stormwater infrastructure and growth planning align effectively. The goal is simple: reduce duplication, improve certainty, and avoid unnecessary delays when delivering new housing and development opportunities.
As professionals working daily in land development and infrastructure projects throughout the region, we regularly see the value that coordinated planning can bring to communities, property owners and future residents.
Enabling Sustainable Urban Growth
Another focus of the submission was ensuring key community infrastructure is delivered in a timely and equitable manner.
Resonant encouraged Council to take a proactive approach to delivering shared stormwater infrastructure, such as detention ponds and wetlands, where multiple developments and landowners benefit. Strategic infrastructure investment can unlock development opportunities, improve resilience and help ensure growth occurs in a coordinated way rather than through piecemeal solutions.
With Palmerston North continuing to grow, long-term planning decisions made today will influence housing supply, infrastructure costs and community resilience for decades to come.
Supporting the Community Through Professional Advocacy
Our submission was not made on behalf of any single project. Instead, it reflected the practical experience our planners, surveyors and engineers gain through working with landowners, developers, businesses and public sector organisations across the region.
By participating in these public processes, Resonant seeks to contribute technical expertise and practical insights that help decision-makers achieve better outcomes for the wider community.
We believe Palmerston North's future depends on balancing growth, affordability, environmental responsibility and infrastructure investment. Constructive engagement between Council, industry and the community is an important part of achieving that outcome.
As a locally owned business with deep roots in the region, we are proud to continue supporting initiatives that help make Palmerston North a great place to live, work and invest.
Kevin Judd, is Managing Director of Resonant Consulting, a Palmerston North-based consultancy providing surveying, land development, civil engineering and planning services. Raised in Woodville and educated at the University of Otago, Kevin has more than 42 years of experience delivering subdivision, infrastructure and land development projects throughout New Zealand. Having owned and led his business for over 25 years, he is a recognised expert in land development and urban growth, regularly contributing technical and practical insights on planning, infrastructure and development issues affecting Palmerston North and the wider Manawatū region.
